![Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1772283655903_HardikPandyaandViratKohli.jpg?type=hq)
Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli [Source: X]
The Hardik Pandya aura is the new talk of the town on social media platforms. While Instagram reel edits have plagued the algorithm with Pandya’s ice-cold celebrations and no-look maestros, the definite popularity of Pandya has now measured upto that of India star Virat Kohli’s.
As per HypeAuditor, an Instagram influencer analytics platform, Hardik Pandya is now the second-highest-ranked cricketer among the world’s highest-ranked cricket Instagram influencers.
The Mega Difference Between Pandya and Kohli!
Pandya and Kohli have a difference of 229 million followers on Instagram. While Virat Kohli leads with 274 million followers, Pandya accounts for 45.3 million. However, as per analytics, Pandya now globally sits at the third position, just beneath Kohli, in the global influencer rankings of sports persons.
The top spot on the list is held by football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who has over 671 million followers on Instagram. Notably, Hardik Pandya is ranked 22nd among the world's top Instagram influencers, with heavy engagement numbers ranging from 10.6 million to 5.5 million likes on each of his posts, despite having a relatively smaller following compared to that of Kohli.
Also Read: Watch- Hardik Pandya Blows A Kiss To Girlfriend Mahieka Sharma Mid-Match vs ZIM
How Accurate Are The Hype Metrics For Hardik Pandya?
Speaking about the software HypeAuditor, the platform measures the influence of Instagram personalities based on raw data from open sources and processes it to group influencers into categories. The tool also uses AI to check audience quality, ensuring that the engagements are real and not from bots or fake accounts.
As it stands currently, Pandya's massive influence has been striking a chord with Gen Z as well as millennial audiences.
The Social Media Behemoths At A Glance
The Gujarat-born is quite active on Instagram, where he has 1,696 posts, frequently updating his fans about his daily life, cricketing ventures, and major brand endorsements with brands like Revolt and Or FanCode, among others.
From his personal life to his favourite tattoos and pictures, Hardik has revealed much of his life on Instagram, opening up his world to his followers.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has been relatively private about his personal life and focuses more on brand endorsements and advertisements he is associated with.
His posts are also less frequent compared to Hardik Pandya's, which explains how the all-rounder competes with Kohli in terms of engagement rates despite the huge difference in follower numbers.
Pandya’s Shenanigans In T20 World Cup 2026
Known for his clutch performances, Pandya, however, has not been at his most productive in this World Cup. So far, in six matches, Hardik has scored 155 runs at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 161.46. However, he has not been at his best, which contrasts with the “clutch” tag often associated with him.
Except for the Zimbabwe innings, where he scored a 23-ball 50, most of his other knocks have come against weaker teams and were more about fulfilling his role.
With the ball, Hardik Pandya has been expensive, conceding runs at an economy rate of 8.43 across six innings and taking only five wickets. He went wicketless in three of the six matches in which he bowled.
Hence, even though he is not in top form, Hardik’s recent Instagram post featuring a motivational moment of the Indian team in a huddle ahead of the all-important India vs West Indies clash received 577k likes within two hours of being posted.
This massive fan engagement justifies why the ‘aura farmer’ now sits just below Virat Kohli on the global Instagram influencer list.
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