The Impressive Times03 MAY: In a bizarre turn of online events, Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli found himself at the center of an unexpected social media storm after fans noticed his verified Instagram handle had liked a post featuring content creator Avneet Kaur. What seemed like a harmless interaction quickly snowballed into a viral controversy, prompting Kohli to issue a public clarification and sparking an online backlash directed not only at Avneet but also at Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The drama unfolded on Friday evening when Kohli broke his silence and addressed the matter through his Instagram Stories. “I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made. Thank you for your understanding,” Kohli wrote.
The explanation came after social media platforms lit up with speculation, memes, and even playful commentary involving Kohli’s wife, Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma, whose birthday had been celebrated just the day before. Fans had spotted Kohli’s accidental “like” on a fan page post about Avneet Kaur, setting off a frenzy of reactions across Instagram and Twitter.
While Kohli’s clarification momentarily calmed some of the chatter, a large section of his passionate fan base wasn’t ready to let the matter rest. In an ironic twist, supporters took to the comment sections of both Avneet Kaur’s and Mark Zuckerberg’s latest Instagram posts, demanding an official apology from the Meta CEO himself. Flooded with hashtags, jokes, memes, and sarcastic pleas for accountability, the comment sections soon became a spectacle in their own right.
Fans accused Instagram’s algorithm of failing their cricketing idol, calling on Zuckerberg to explain how such accidental interactions occur and to issue a formal apology to Kohli. Others rallied to defend Kohli’s integrity, emphasizing his clean public image and the timing of the incident, which coincided with a heartfelt birthday tribute he had posted for Anushka Sharma. Married since 2017, Kohli and Anushka recently welcomed their second child, Akaay, in February 2024.
What began as a minor moment of online curiosity has now evolved into yet another example of how quickly things can escalate on social media. From an innocent accidental like to a fan-led digital movement, the episode highlights both the power and unpredictability of today’s online culture.
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