Virat Kohli's Instagram account briefly disappears, returns within hours
The Indian cricket star's Instagram account briefly showed error messages on Friday morning, sparking panic and memes online, before being restored within hours
 "Virat Kohli's Instagram account briefly disappears, returns within hours")
Virat Kohli’s Instagram account triggered widespread online buzz early Friday after users discovered that the Indian cricket star’s profile had temporarily disappeared from the platform.
Fans attempting to access @virat.kohli were met with error messages stating that “the profile is not available” or that “the link may be broken”, sparking confusion and speculation across social media. The issue was first noticed during the early hours of Friday morning.
However, hours later, Kohli’s Instagram account was restored, bringing relief to millions of followers worldwide.
No official word from Kohli or Instagram
As of now, neither Kohli nor Meta has issued an official statement explaining the brief disappearance. Kohli’s X (formerly Twitter) account remained active throughout, adding to the mystery surrounding the Instagram outage.
Kohli is among the most-followed individuals globally, boasting over 274 million followers, including elite athletes such as Novak Djokovic.
Timing draws attention amid Kohli’s impressive recent performances
The incident came at an intriguing moment in Kohli’s career. Earlier this month, the former India captain reclaimed the No 1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings following a sublime 124-run knock against New Zealand.
For years, Kohli’s Instagram has served as a major hub for cricketing updates, personal milestones and brand collaborations, making its sudden absence all the more noticeable.
Internet reacts with memes and wild theories
News of Kohli’s missing profile spread rapidly, triggering a wave of memes, jokes and speculation. Some users humorously linked the incident to the viral “Nihilist Penguin” meme trend, joking that Kohli had “walked off the internet”.
With no official clarification, theories ranged from technical glitches to potential brand announcements.
Brother Vikas Kohli’s account also briefly unavailable
Adding to the intrigue, Instagram users reported that Vikas Kohli, Virat Kohli’s brother, also appeared missing from searches around the same time, encountering similar error messages. His account has since become accessible again.
Rohit Sharma tease fuels online chatter
Online speculation gained further momentum after Rohit Sharma shared a cryptic Instagram story on Thursday teasing a “new role”, writing: “New Role Incoming. Lead ____ India”, accompanied by the national flag emoji.
The collaborative post, which Rohit said would be revealed later on Friday, left fans wondering whether it hinted at a team update, a personal milestone or a brand campaign—though no direct link has been established.
Fans flood Anushka Sharma’s comments
During Kohli’s brief Instagram silence, fans turned to his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, seeking answers. Her recent posts were flooded with comments ranging from anxious to playful, including: “Bhaabhi, bhaiya ka account kahan gaya?”
Anushka has, however, not responded to the queries.