Virat Kohli.
Credit: Instagram/@indiancricketteam
Indian cricket and Virat Kohli fans were left shocked as the former national captain's Instagram account with over 274 million followers was deactivated for a few hours on Friday.
The digital silence from one of India's most prolific players had left millions of fans worried and in a state of panic.
The disappearance of Kohli's verified account was noticed in the early hours of Friday, with a search on the handle leading to the messages: "This page isn't available" or "The link may be broken." The cricketer with most ODI centuries is the most followed Asian personality on Instagram.
While Kohli has given no clarification as to why his account was not visible, his 'X' account was active during the period.
Fans worried
Worried fans spammed Kohli's wife and actor Anushka Sharma with comments seeking clarity and answers.
However, Anushka had also remained silent to thousands of comments, ranging from concern to humour.
Numerous comments like “Bhaabhi, bhaiya ka account kahan gaya?”, loosely translating to, “Where has brother’s account gone?”
The couple has often preferred to maintain privacy and family time, especially during off-season.
Panicking fans left no stone unturned to speculate various things and even found humour amid Kohli's Instagram disappearance.
In a humorous take, one user compared Kohli's Instagram deactivation to the viral trend of the 'nihilist penguin'.
Adding to the concerns and speculations, Kohli's brother, Vikas Kohli's Instagram account was also not visible on the social media platform. Users attempting to access his profile have encountered the same “profile isn’t available” message.
Rohit Sharma adds to the confusion
Longtime India teammate Rohit Sharma added to the speculation with a post of his own on Thursday.
The T20 World Cp winning captain had teased fans of a "new role". He had written, "New Role Incoming" followed by "Lead ____ India" along with the national flag on his Instagram story.
He said it was a collaborative post, adding that more details will be revealed on Friday afternoon.