NEW DELHI — The “Kohli-verse” can finally breathe a sigh of relief. On Friday morning, January 30, 2026, the Instagram profile of Indian batting legend Virat Kohli was fully restored after a mysterious disappearance that lasted several hours.
The account, boasting 274 million followers, vanished without warning late Thursday night, leading to frantic speculation on social media. By 8:30 AM IST today, all 1,044 posts, along with his reels and tagged photos, were back in their digital home.
1. The “Great Blackout”: What Happened?
The sudden deactivation of the world’s most followed cricketer on Instagram sent shockwaves through the sporting world.
- The Frenzy: Within an hour of the account going down, “Virat Kohli” and “Retirement” began trending globally on X (formerly Twitter).
- The Sibling Connection: Interestingly, Kohli’s elder brother, Vikas Kohli, also saw his account disappear at the exact same time, leading some to speculate it was a coordinated security measure or a technical glitch affecting the family’s linked Meta accounts.
- Status Now: No new posts have been made since the restoration, and neither Kohli nor Meta (Instagram’s parent company) has issued an official statement regarding the cause.
2. Fans React: From “Retirement Panic” to “Ecstasy”
The internet’s reaction followed a classic arc of digital grief and relief:
- The Scare: Because elite athletes often “black out” their social media before major career announcements, thousands of fans feared the 37-year-old was announcing his retirement from international cricket.
- The Relief: Once the blue tick reappeared, fans flooded X with memes and celebratory posts.
“The King is back. Don’t scare us like that again, GOAT,” read one viral post with over 50,000 likes.
3. Virat Kohli’s Instagram Power (2026 Stats)
Kohli remains not just a sportsperson, but a global digital economy unto himself.
| Metric | Value / Count |
| Followers | 274 Million |
| Total Posts | 1,044 |
| Estimated Value per Post | $1.5 Million – $2 Million |
| Global Rank | Most followed Asian on Instagram |
| Content Focus | Fitness, Brand Deals, Family (Anushka Sharma), & Cricket |
4. Possible Technical Explanations
While we await a formal word, tech experts suggest three likely scenarios:
- Security Lockdown: A suspected hacking attempt may have triggered Instagram’s automated safety protocols to temporarily “hide” the account.
- Meta Glitch: A localized server error affecting high-traffic verified accounts.
- Internal Update: A backend sync or rebranding effort that required the profile to be taken offline briefly.