Indian batter Virat Kohli is known for breaking records on and off the field and his Instagram post following India's historic T20 World Cup 2024 win against South Africa in Barbados has created history.
Rohit Sharma and Co. claimed a nail-biting seven-run win on Saturday, securing their second T20 World Cup trophy and ending an 11-year drought of ICC titles.
Kohli took to Instagram and expressed his emotions. “Couldn’t have dreamt of a better day than this. God is great and I bow my head in gratitude. We finally did it. Jai Hind,” he wrote.
His post has received over 1.9 crore (19 million) likes and continues to gain traction, becoming the most-liked post on Instagram in India, surpassing the previous record held by Bollywood couple Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani’s wedding post (over 16 million) of the year 2023.
Despite its massive popularity, Kohli’s post still trails behind football legend Lionel Messi's post about winning the FIFA World Cup 2022, which has over 75.3 million likes. Nevertheless, Kohli’s post received appreciation from legends in Indian cricket, Bollywood, and even former UFC champion Conor McGregor and football icon David Beckham.
Remember, Kohli had a poor tournament prior to the final. He was the top scorer with an impressive 76 runs, propelling India towards victory and gaining him Player of the Match award.
Following the victory, Kohli announced his retirement from the T20 format. “It’s time for the next generation to take over. It was an open secret, and I would have announced it even if we had lost,” he said at the post-match presentation. Kohli, who was part of India’s ODI World Cup 2011-winning team and Champions Trophy 2013 triumph, bows out on a high note, leaving a legacy for future cricketers to follow.