‘Income tax ka chakkar hoga’ – Fans react as Virat Kohli denies his reported earning of 11.45 crores INR per Instagram post

With 256 million followers on Instagram, Virat Kohli can be called a digital marketeer’s dream. The former India skipper does a lot of brand endorsements and does earn a lot from sponsored posts on Instagram. However, a popular Instagram scheduling tool named Hoppe HQ came up with a report of the top 100 highest earners on Instagram, and the talismanic Indian batter was placed 14^th with a reported per post earnings of INR 11.45 crores.

The list is topped by footballing celebrity Cristiano Ronaldo at USD 3.23 million per post while his arch-nemesis Lionel Messi followed him in the second position with USD 2.56 million per post. Notably, Virat Kohli was the only Indian who made it to the Top 20 while being the only cricketer on the list of 100 accounts. However, he took to Twitter to clarify that the reported figure is not true. “While I am grateful and indebted to all that I’ve received in life, the news that has been making rounds about my social media earnings is not true,” he wrote.

Virat Kohli recently scored a century in his 500^th international game

Following the release of the viral report, Hopper HQ’s founder, Mike Bandar said, “It’s still shocking to me that the annual money made on the platform increases every year. Yet, what fascinates me more is the consistent players at the top. It’s apparent that the glitz and glamour of traditional celebrities still hold power over the new ‘influencer’ status. Ronaldo and Messi not only dominate the pitch but also the digital sphere as it’s clear they personify the power of personal branding and the influence it holds over us ‘ordinary’ people.”

Talking of Kohli’s cricketing commitments, he last batted during the two-match Test series against West Indies. The second Test of the series was also the star batter’s 500^th international game. The 34-year-old scored a brilliant century on the occasion to follow up his 76-run knock in the first Test. He certainly looks in fine form ahead of the marquee multi-lateral events – Asia Cup ODI 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023.

Kohli did not bat in the first ODI against West Indies and was rested for the two subsequent games to promote less-experienced players. He was seen fielding as a substitute and even serving drinks between the over in these two games. Since he is not named in the squad for the subsequent T20Is, he flew back home after the conclusion of the ODI series. He’ll next be in action in the Asia Cup ODI 2023.

Here’s how fans reacted:  

https://twitter.com/vkkings007/status/1690220768049942529

https://twitter.com/recepiewaala/status/1690220151663452160

https://twitter.com/phenomenal908/status/1690220091856809984