Hack or suspended… Kohli’s Instagram account went missing for a few hours, then got reactivated; fans panic

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Indian cricket star Virat Kohli created a stir on social media on Friday after his official Instagram account briefly disappeared from search results, triggering concern and speculation among fans.

Several users reported seeing a “User not found” message while searching for Kohli’s profile, leading to rumors that the star batter may have deleted or deactivated his account. Kohli is one of the world’s most followed athletes on Instagram, with over 270 million followers, making the sudden disappearance even more alarming.

As the account remained inaccessible, fans began raising questions online. Many even commented on posts shared by his wife and actress Anushka Sharma, asking about Kohli’s whereabouts and the status of his Instagram profile.

However, within a few hours, Virat Kohli’s Instagram account was restored, bringing relief to millions of followers. As of now, no official statement has been issued by Kohli or his management team regarding the reason behind the temporary disappearance.

It remains unclear whether the account was deactivated due to a technical glitch, a personal decision, or a possible security issue such as hacking.

The matter gained further attention when Kohli’s brother, Vikas Kohli’s Instagram account, also became unavailable from Friday morning, displaying a “Profile isn’t available” message.

Active on other social media platforms

During the time his Instagram account was inaccessible, Virat Kohli remained active on X (formerly Twitter), which fueled further speculation among fans.

The 37-year-old cricketer recently returned to London after an impressive performance in the ODI series against New Zealand. He is now set to feature in IPL 2026 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where the team will aim to defend its title.

Kohli in superb form

Virat Kohli has been in excellent form recently. After returning from a four-month break in October, he scored 616 runs in nine ODI matches, including three centuries. During this period, he briefly reclaimed the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings, before being overtaken by New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell.