Over 2.5 billion people in the world follow cricket. They love and breathe the game day in and day out. It is because of the players that fans support a particular sport. Cricket is full of legendary players who have excelled over the years and have made names for themselves. Their on-field impact becomes indelible, and the off-field demeanour decides their personality. Their commitment towards the game, unmatched performances, precious moments, and sportsmanship win the hearts of multitudes of fans and make them loyal for life.

Their strong social media and public presence, associations while endorsing brands, public speaking, community, support for national, social, and environmental causes, make them morally right and an inspiration for all. The way they dress up, present themselves, and focus on their looks gives them an aesthetic edge. All these fetch immense fandom across platforms and make them gain unparalleled love from all those who admire them. 

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Let's take a look at the top ten most popular cricketers in the world, and the list might be completely unsurprising.

Player	Country	Followers (Instagram)	Matches
Virat Kohli	India	272 million	550
MS Dhoni	India	50 million	538
Rohit Sharma	India	44 million	499
Sachin Tendulkar	India	51 million	664
Hardik Pandya	India	41 million	219
Jasprit Bumrah	India	20 million	204
David Warner	Australia	11 million	383
Yuvraj Singh	India	21 million	402
AB de Villiers	South Africa	27 million	420
Ben Stokes	England	3 million	268

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is the most popular and widely followed cricketer in the world. He boasts a staggering social media following across platforms and is recognised as the best batter of this generation. Nicknamed 'Cheeku', 'King Kohli', 'Run-Machine', and 'Chasemaster', the legendary player has, on multiple occasions, outperformed the opposition by producing scintillating innings. He has the second-highest number of international centuries and the most in ODI cricket. As the Test captain, under him, India won the ICC mace twice in succession, and with that, he became the most successful red ball skipper of India.

Kohli's popularity and stardom stem from his elite and impressive performances, record-breaking feats, ultimate physique, and strong personality. These attributes have earned him massive sponsorship deals and increased his brand value. He's tagged as the 'National Icon' of India.

2. MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been India's greatest ever and most successful skipper across formats. Under him, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. His composure and the ability to stay calm under tense situations earned him the title of 'Captain Cool'. In IPL, MS-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is the most glorious and followed franchise. His achievements at all levels of cricket, the ability to close out games, which has earned him the designation of the greatest finisher in the game, evergreen personality, long hair, and inclusive nature, make him the second most popular cricketer in the world. 

3. Rohit Sharma 

Rohit Sharma, fondly regarded as 'Hitman', is one of the most famous cricketers in the world. His recent success as captain of the Indian white ball team, winning the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, solidified his stature as an Indian great. Over the years, his exploits with the Mumbai Indians, winning five IPL trophies, have made him a serial winner.

The Indian opener's timeless and effortless batting prowess, on course towards setting several milestones, is a source of awe and amazement. He is the only batter with three double hundreds in ODI cricket, with 264 as the highest score. His intrinsically humorous and straightforward nature complements his personality extremely well. 

4. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, referred to as the 'God of Cricket', is a global sensation and widely known as the best batter the game has ever seen. His batting genius and consistency earned him infinite laurels in his career, and he bowed down with the 2011 ODI World Cup and smashing 100 international centuries, the only ever player hitherto, to reach that auspicious landmark. He hung his boots with the highest ever international runs among any player. He debut at 16 and his cricketing life is celebrated eternally. His legacy is unmatched and an inspiration to millions of sports fans. 

5. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Himanshu Pandya is one of India's most fashionably conscious celebrities. His aesthetic style, demeanour, on-field aggression, immaculate all-round abilities, and a knack for being the team's saviour make him a glorious cricketer and personality. He is more liked by the fans of the current generation, and his cool attitude is something everyone aspires to follow and possess. All these characteristics make him quite popular. He, dubbed as 'Kungfu Pandya' by several cricket pundits, however, has been involved in a few controversies, but came out of them and saved his image from getting tarnished. He now has more fans than ever and is widely recognised as the best all-rounder since Kapil Dev.

6. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah, India's bowling spearhead, has taken pace bowling to an elite level. He is considered the best bowler of this generation, across formats. He is unplayable on the majority of the occasions and a nightmare for all the batters. His bowling wits outsmart the batters and that is what makes him special. He is a well known figure publically thanks to his impeccable bowling skills. He has been termed as the "National Asset' of India by several people for his unique qualities. 

7. David Warner

David Warner, referred to as 'The Pocket Size Dynamite', is a swashbuckling Aussie opener who has retired from international cricket but still plays in some of the franchise leagues across the world. He is known for his explosive batting and the ability to strike boundaries at will. The left-hander has been an IPL icon over the years and gained love from millions of fans during his time in India. While playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he led them to the IPL title in 2016 and made a regular name for himself in the South Indian household, courtesy of that. This fetched him several advertisements, and eventually, he entered the film industry as well. He could be seen enacting popular moves of the famous actors while on the field, and that brought him an immense fan following.

8. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh was India's backbone as a promising left-handed batter in the National Cricket Team for several years. His notable achievements include winning the 2002 Natwest Series in England, the 2007 T20 World Cup, where he smashed 6 sixes in an over, and claiming the 2011 ODI World Cup as the man of the tournament. The elegant player from Punjab was a warrior off the field as well. His successful battle against cancer, during his playing days, earned him massive respect from all fraternities. His strong social media presence and rationalising the morals of the current society, while motivating younger players, make him as one of the most regarded sportspersons worldwide.  

9. AB de Villiers

Abraham Benjamin De Villiers, also known as 'ABD' or 'Mr. 360' was an illustrious player from South Africa. He also played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL for several years. He was a batting maverick, his shots were breathtaking, sensational, and all around the park, which led to him being acronymed as 'Mr. 360'. His camaraderie with Virat Kohli was the talk of the town every time he stepped foot on the Indian shores. His striking and innovative power was supreme and wonderful. His positive and amicable nature earned him humongous love and fandom from all corners of society.

10. Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes, the skipper of the England Test Team, is a very popular figure in sports. He is one of the most widely recognised non-Indian cricketers in the world. He is a gifted player, a proper all-rounder, and has produced unbelievable innings for his nation. His magical efforts won England their maiden ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022. His gobsmacking batting display also took the Three Lions home in an Ashes match in 2019. He is quite vocal and always professes to the betterment of the game. His commitment towards fitness and test cricket is extremely commendable. He is looked up to by many budding players for his great cricketing skills.