Virat Kohli becomes first Asian to cross 150 million Instagram followers

Renowned for scripting records on the field, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been racking numbers off-field too, as he has become the first Asian to touch 150 million followers on social media platform Instagram. Overall, he is the fourth sports celeb to reach the landmark, behind footballers Cristiano Ronaldo (337 million). Lionel Messi (260 million) and Neymar (160 million).

Kohli, who is the highest-paid celebrity in India as he reportedly charges INR 5 crore per sponsored Instagram post, had touched 100 million followers in March this year and still holds the record of being the first Indian to amass as many followers.

An owner of an A+ contract with the BCCI, Kohli is paid a whopping INR 7 Crore every year for his services to the Indian team. Apart from that, the 32-year-old receives INR 17 Crore as a retainer from his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for playing his trade in the cash-rich league. The cricketer charges almost $1 million a day for his shoots, putting him in the league of international sports stars.

Virat Kohli’s many business ventures

The Indian skipper’s penchant for fitness is well-known and he owns a chain of gym and fitness centres in the name of “Chisel Fitness”. He co-owns FC Goa, UAE Royals, and Bengaluru Yodhas – ISL, ITPL and Pro Wrestling League franchises respectively and is also a partner of “Stepathlon Kids”, an online community meant to motivate children aged between 8-12 years to be physically active. Kohli is the proud owner of the London-based tech start-up “Sport Convo”, supported by renowned footballer Gareth Bale, meant for letting sports enthusiasts communicate with each other.

Further, he has partnered with Zeeva, a Hong-Kong based electronic company, to launch MuveAcoustics, a personal audio brand. Another prominent business venture of Kohli includes his deal with the renowned brand Puma for his brand One8, which offers branded apparel, accessories, footwear, etc. He entered the world of the fashion business in 2014 through his brand “Wrogn”. He also has an exclusive mobile application named “Virat Kohli official app” which allows his fans to stay close to him and also purchase various merchandise of the brands he endorses.