Inside Virat Kohli’s Tiny Instagram Circle - Why Only few Accounts Made the Cut...

Virat Kohli has 273 million people watching his every post. But here's the more interesting question — who does he watch?

Written and published by Deepak Sriram, Delhi 21 May 2026, Thursday, 5:05 PM IST

Kohli follows just around 279 accounts on Instagram which, for a man of his stature, is an incredibly selective and disciplined number. In a world where most people follow thousands, Kohli's list reads like a window into his actual world. Family. Cricket. Fitness. Spirituality. And the global superstars he genuinely admires.

Let's break it down.

The Inner Circle, Family and Close Friends

Naturally, Kohli's list begins at home. Wife Anushka Sharma, his anchor in every sense of the word, is there. So is his brother Vikas Kohli. His close friends from the cricket world, teammates, former coaches find a place too. These aren't just PR follows. These are the people whose Instagram stories he probably actually watches while sitting on a flight.

Cricketers — But Only the Ones That Matter

Kohli doesn't just follow every Indian cricketer with a blue tick. His list includes teammates he's genuinely close to— Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, and a few others from the national setup. He has also been known to follow and engage with legends like Sachin Tendulkar, who is more a mentor-figure than just a former player to Kohli.

International Superstars — The Ones He Truly Looks Up To

This is where it gets genuinely fascinating. Kohli is famously obsessed with Cristiano Ronaldo, not just as a footballer but as a template for what elite fitness and mental dedication looks like. He has said so openly in interviews multiple times. It's no surprise then that Ronaldo is on his list. The admiration isn't one-sided either. Both men sit in the same stratosphere of global athletic fame, Kohli recently became the third athlete in the world to cross 250 million Instagram followers, joining only Ronaldo and Messi in that club.

Beyond Ronaldo, Kohli's documented respect for athletes like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who have publicly appreciated Kohli in return, suggests they find a place in that curated list too.

Spiritual Gurus — The Side of Virat Most People Miss

This is perhaps the least-discussed but most important part of Kohli's life. Over the years, Kohli has spoken about his spiritual awakening, how reading about consciousness, karma, and mindfulness transformed his approach to pressure and performance.

Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev) is one figure Kohli has publicly acknowledged as deeply influential. Sadhguru's philosophy on inner engineering and not letting external results define your inner state resonates strongly with how Kohli has evolved as a cricketer and captain.

Gaur Gopal Das, the ISKCON monk turned motivational speaker, is another. His content on purpose, gratitude, and dealing with criticism is tailor-made for someone who has faced the kind of public scrutiny Kohli has lived through.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, has also been mentioned in circles close to Kohli as someone whose teachings on breathwork and emotional balance have influenced Indian athletes.

Premanand Maharaj, renown saint of Vrindvan, he has visited many times with family. And got Maharaj ji`s blessing to continue the spiritual journey.  

Bollywood — Because He's Married to It

Anushka's world naturally bleeds into his. Producers, directors, and co-stars from her circle find space on his list. Ranveer Singh, a certified high-energy personality like Kohli himself, is someone both have expressed mutual fondness for publicly.

What His Following List Really Says

A man who follows only 279 people out of 273 million is telling you something. Every follow is a deliberate choice. And when you look at the pattern— faith, fitness, family, and the fiercest competitors on the planet, it maps perfectly onto the man Virat Kohli has built himself to be.

He doesn't scroll mindlessly. He curates. And that, honestly, is very on-brand.