Imran Khan vs Virat Kohli? Who would have been the biggest global super star if they played in the same era today in their prime?

[Savak]

Would Kohli have been as popular if not more than Imran Khan in England, Australia, America if he and Imran Khan both were playing in the same era?

Would Imran Khan have ended up being as commercially successful as Kohli is today?

Would Kohli have barged into IK on the field or fist pumped in his face, screamed like a monkey after he got out?

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Given current Economy of Pakistan, Virat.
Imran would have been dumped by current lots of PCB chairs for attitude issues.

 

[Pakpak]

?

Khan was as if not more popular and that was in 1992. He'd be insane right now.

Remember also Kohli has a country with 1.5 billion people, even an average player for India can get fame due to the fact 1/7th person in the world is an Indian.

 

[topspin]

Would Kohli have been as popular if not more than Imran Khan in England, Australia, America if he and Imran Khan both were playing in the same era?

Would Imran Khan have ended up being as commercially successful as Kohli is today?

Would Kohli have barged into IK on the field or fist pumped in his face, screamed like a monkey after he got out?

Depends on your sources I guess

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Would Kohli have been as popular if not more than Imran Khan in England, Australia, America if he and Imran Khan both were playing in the same era?

Would Imran Khan have ended up being as commercially successful as Kohli is today?

Would Kohli have barged into IK on the field or fist pumped in his face, screamed like a monkey after he got out?

If Imran would be respectful to Virat they will play nice. But I guarantee you if he abuses Kohli on the field, younger one especially then we have a fight waiting to happen

 

[Savak]

If Imran would be respectful to Virat they will play nice. But I guarantee you if he abuses Kohli on the field, younger one especially then we have a fight waiting to happen

When did Imran ever abuse any opposition player in his cricketing career? He never sledged anyone.

 

[chinaman00]

Disrespectful to compare Imran Khan to anyone. Imran khan was a genuine global star well known and followed in Hollywood and the elite of West. He was genuinely charismatic, articulate and full of self-confidence, not to mention his natural leadership. Imran khan stood equal among the British monarch and high society.

No comparison, at all.

 

[saimayubera]

Imran would have to play in the era of neutral umpires, no ball tampering etc so his overall record would be closer to his away record - batting average of 35, bowling average of 26

so would be seen as a solid Ravi Jadeja, Stokes level player

 

[sweep_shot]

Imran Khan - An educated and classy person. Natural leader. Won a World Cup as a captain. He oozes class.

Kohli - A thug who got famous because BCCICC never disciplined him for his over-the-top behavior. A coward who has to bully 19-year old Konstas to feel better.

Imran wins easily.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Who cares man

 

[Kroll]

Kohli would be known as a great cricketer, a mechanical phenomenon but Khan would be next level - a western darling and proper celebrity with bucket loads of charisma.

 

[moghul]

Another joke question and comparison . In Good looks , captivating and charismatic personality, education , leadership and achievements , no other cricketer in the history can surpass Imran Khan .

 

[ChennaiFan]

Popularity in western countries, standing equal among the British monarch and high society - these are some sentiments I see in this thread. It shows some people didn't come out of the slavery even after 77+ years of Independence!

If those are the criteria, then I would give it to Imran. BTW, from very little of I watched him, he was calm and class on the field. He was an excellent ambassador of Pakistan and the game of cricket.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Not the right question when he is in Jail lol

 

[Golu-momin]

There’s no comparison 99.99% kohli and 0.001% imran. Kohli has eclipsed fame in cricketing world like no one ever did.

 

[Champ_Pal]

If Imran played in this era, he would be smashed to all parts of the ground.

Kohli would have struggled against West Indies of 80’s and 70’s and maybe Aus to some extent. But the rest of teams with trundlers will be taken to the cleaners.

Most 80’s and 70’s players are overrated as hell.

I do believe Kohli would have struggled against Wasim and Waqar of 88-89 era. They were something else at that time.

 

[chinaman00]

Correct.

Imran Khan was the complete package. On-field and off-field. His cornered tiger speech was iconic. He built a hospital. He was the prime minister of Pakistan. He was a superstar.

Kohli's legacy - behaving like a lunatic on the field, bullying a 19-year old kid, not winning any IPL trophy, scoring a lot of runs in ODI, being an excellent ODI chaser, and scoring with Anushka Sharma.

Imran was the first true global star of cricket and no one has ever come close to touching him. Female Hollywood celebrities would literally line up to date him. He was a regular at Epstein island. The access and stardom he had was supernatural. Bollywood women would droll at the sight of Imran and some are on record saying so. Heck Kohli to this day can’t even get this reception in his own country, forget outside India.

Preposterous to compare him with this Kohli guy who’s only good in the field and lacks any personality off-field.

Kohli doesn’t even have 10% of the stardom of Afridi and people are comparing him to the incomparable Imran Khan. Ridiculous

 

[sweep_shot]

Imran was the first true global star of cricket and no one has ever come close to touching him. Female Hollywood celebrities would literally line up to date him. He was a regular at Epstein island. The access and stardom he had was supernatural. Bollywood women would droll at the sight of Imran and some are on record saying so. Heck Kohli to this day can’t even get this reception in his own country, forget outside India.

Preposterous to compare him with this Kohli guy who’s only good in the field and lacks any personality off-field.

Kohli doesn’t even have 10% of the stardom of Afridi and people are comparing him to the incomparable Imran Khan. Ridiculous

Yeah. Imran is 4-5 times above Kohli in terms of stardom and elegance.

Kohli is not much outside of cricket field. Even within cricket field, his legacy has been tarnished a bit due to his lunatic behaviors.

 

[mominsaigol]

Kohli because India is a 1B population hence any tom dick and Harry player would be elevated to nonsense fame status.

I'm.100% sure that even jadeja, Ashwin, or heck kl Rahul would have more fame then imran Khan solely due to the 1B population backing.

Not to mention social media in this era would ensure imran Khan would get scrutinised in media by the Indian masses.

As players both are quality. Imran Khan is better in tests because the value of an allrounder is usually better then a batsmen in test cricket unless that batsmen is 50 avg powerhouse like Steve smith, Sachin, Dravid etc.

In odi kohli is undeniably better

 

[sweep_shot]

I was saying Imran had more popularity outside of Pakistan than Kohli has outside of India.

 

[mominsaigol]

I was saying Imran had more popularity outside of Pakistan than Kohli has outside of India.

No he doesn't. Kohli is popular in America to the point that influencers like logan Paul and mrbeast and even wwe creative like triple H want him to make some sort of appearance in their videos.

Hollywood has been trying to get him to cameo in movies for years.

Imran Khan is popular but he's more so a political figure and most political figures aren't famous outside certain countries. Like can you tell me who's the prime minister of Australia? Without searching? Or who's the political head who runs Japan?

Putin, Donald trump, kim john etc are obviously exceptions since trump runs the most powerful country in the world and is friends with 5 billionaires who virtually run social media aka meta, Amazon, Twitter etc etc.

Whereas putin and kim john are popular cause the world fears them and fears that if ww3 occurs it's gonna be cause of these 2.

Imran Khan doesn't have the power, and Pakistan ain't that nation.

A social media influencer, a social media billionaire, a top tier wwe wrestler, a top level Hollywood or bollywood actor, a top tier sports superstar from football and cricket aka the no 1 and no 2 most watched sports in the world will always have more fame then a political figures unless those political figures are extremly prominent to the point that their entering the history books.

You can say IK is more powerful then kphli since he still has some control over the important decisons of his country while kohli is just a rich cricketer who lives in india/England and doesn't have the power to make any decison that'll influence his country.

 

[sweep_shot]

No he doesn't. Kohli is popular in America to the point that influencers like logan Paul and mrbeast and even wwe creative like triple H want him to make some sort of appearance in their videos.

Hollywood has been trying to get him to cameo in movies for years.

Imran Khan is popular but he's more so a political figure and most political figures aren't famous outside certain countries. Like can you tell me who's the prime minister of Australia? Without searching? Or who's the political head who runs Japan?

Putin, Donald trump, kim john etc are obviously exceptions since trump runs the most powerful country in the world and is friends with 5 billionaires who virtually run social media aka meta, Amazon, Twitter etc etc.

Whereas putin and kim john are popular cause the world fears them and fears that if ww3 occurs it's gonna be cause of these 2.

Imran Khan doesn't have the power, and Pakistan ain't that nation.

A social media influencer, a social media billionaire, a top tier wwe wrestler, a top level Hollywood or bollywood actor, a top tier sports superstar from football and cricket aka the no 1 and no 2 most watched sports in the world will always have more fame then a political figures unless those political figures are extremly prominent to the point that their entering the history books.

You can say IK is more powerful then kphli since he still has some control over the important decisons of his country while kohli is just a rich cricketer who lives in india/England and doesn't have the power to make any decison that'll influence his country.

We are not referring to Imran Khan's current status quo. His peak was higher than Kohli's peak in terms of stardom.

 

[sweep_shot]

We are not referring to Imran Khan's current status quo. His peak was higher than Kohli's peak in terms of stardom.

@mominsaigol, Imran Khan of 1980's and 1990's. That was Imran's peak.

 

[mominsaigol]

@mominsaigol, Imran Khan of 1980's and 1990's. That was Imran's peak.

Kohli is still more famous then Imran's peak.

Infact kohli is more famous then Tendulkar as well lol.

Tenda is a living legend but he just like Bradman are mostly folklore status and aren't representative of fame.

In terms of pure fame, Kohli is the most famous cricketer in history.

 

[Itachi]

Another joke question and comparison . In Good looks , captivating and charismatic personality, education , leadership and achievements , no other cricketer in the history can surpass Imran Khan .

.... Cricketer couldn't.

But politicians did surpass him. As much with the good looks, captivating and charismatic personality, education, leadership but everything became zero in politics.

 

[Itachi]

Kohli is still more famous then Imran's peak.

Infact kohli is more famous then Tendulkar as well lol.

Tenda is a living legend but he just like Bradman are mostly folklore status and aren't representative of fame.

In terms of pure fame, Kohli is the most famous cricketer in history.

I think MSD would be first.

 

[mominsaigol]

I think MSD would be first.

He isn't. Kohli is no 1 in terms of fame.

Remember fame and historical value/status aren't the same thing.

If you were to put kohli on one side of ring and Dhoni on another and conduct a test as to who would get more autographs, Kohli would win assuming it's a neutral venues with a neutral multicultural population.

 

[Hikaru]

Like it has been said before, who cares. Anyone who thinks Imran would be bigger has a solid choice too, and if such hypotheticals help cope with the current state, good for you guys.

 

[jnaveen1980]

In Pakistan he was the superstar. In England Botham was the superstar. In India Kapil Dev was the superstar. In NZ Hadlee was the superstar. Real global star was Richards until Sachin Tendulkar took over.

 

[jnaveen1980]

You can check with AI if you have question

 

[jnaveen1980]

 

[Bhaijaan]

Imran Khan is more comparable with Tom Cruise, Muhammad Ali, Hulk Hogan etc. There’s not a place in the world where people don’t recognize him by name or face such was his cultural impact. He’s one of the rare men in the history of cricket who was not only loved by women but also men. Pakistan’s homosexual men population grew by 73% during Imran Khan’s stardom, an unprecedented rise. Tell me how many men on this forum keep a photo of Kohli in their purse or diary? Bet you won’t find one and yet that is still a common thing in Pakistan. It is alleged that the King of Saudi Arabia at that time proposed to marry Imran and let him inherit all his jewels. Women in Philipines, Morocco, Azerbaijan get Immy tattooed on them to this day.

Virat never reached those levels. Not even close.

 

[mominsaigol]

Imran Khan is more comparable with Tom Cruise, Muhammad Ali, Hulk Hogan etc. There’s not a place in the world where people don’t recognize him by name or face such was his cultural impact. He’s one of the rare men in the history of cricket who was not only loved by women but also men. Pakistan’s homosexual men population grew by 73% during Imran Khan’s stardom, an unprecedented rise. Tell me how many men on this forum keep a photo of Kohli in their purse or diary? Bet you won’t find one and yet that is still a common thing in Pakistan. It is alleged that the King of Saudi Arabia at that time proposed to marry Imran and let him inherit all his jewels. Women in Philipines, Morocco, Azerbaijan get Immy tattooed on them to this day.

Virat never reached those levels. Not even close.

Being a historical figure of relevance doesn't mean more famous.

Kohli at present is more famous however yes, in 50 to 100 years when their dead, Imran Khan will be read in history books while kohli will likely be forgotten in the same way 99% of famous people from 1900's have been forgotten.

Mainly cause a new young face will be the next cricketing super star by then

 

[jnaveen1980]

Imran Khan is more comparable with Tom Cruise, Muhammad Ali, Hulk Hogan etc. There’s not a place in the world where people don’t recognize him by name or face such was his cultural impact. He’s one of the rare men in the history of cricket who was not only loved by women but also men. Pakistan’s homosexual men population grew by 73% during Imran Khan’s stardom, an unprecedented rise. Tell me how many men on this forum keep a photo of Kohli in their purse or diary? Bet you won’t find one and yet that is still a common thing in Pakistan. It is alleged that the King of Saudi Arabia at that time proposed to marry Imran and let him inherit all his jewels. Women in Philipines, Morocco, Azerbaijan get Immy tattooed on them to this day.

Virat never reached those levels. Not even close.

To be fair i don't carry anyone's photo except mine lol That too driver's license. I am not sure that is a measure of superstardom. It is the sheer approachability like MSD was surrounded by 10000 people when he went for hair cut. That cult status is different from playboy status. Ravi shastri was the playboy. Ajay jadeja was going steady with Madhuri dixit until he got caught for fixing. In India Wasim Akram is more popular than Imran khan.

 

[Bhaijaan]

To be fair i don't carry anyone's photo except mine lol That too driver's license. I am not sure that is a measure of superstardom. It is the sheer approachability like MSD was surrounded by 10000 people when he went for hair cut. That cult status is different from playboy status. Ravi shastri was the playboy. Ajay jadeja was going steady with Madhuri dixit until he got caught for fixing. In India Wasim Akram is more popular than Imran khan.

I just had to be honest about it.
Stardom is stardom. You know you’re crazy popular when 40 year old men name their dolls Immy in your honour.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I just had to be honest about it.
Stardom is stardom. You know you’re crazy popular when 40 year old men name their dolls Immy in your honour.

Lot of people hated Imran in India especially his comments about Sachin at the start of his career didn't go well with Indians. HE always had something negative to say about India in commentary box. Often petty remarks. Many didn't like him at all. I never liked him ever. Wasim Akram and Lala commanded more fandom in India than Imran could ever do.

 

[sweep_shot]

You can check with AI if you have question

Who needs AI for this? One has to be new to cricket if he needs AI for this.

AI added Hayden but not Imran Khan. LOL. That tells you everything about AI's accuracy.

 

[saimayubera]

Kohli is cheered on by opposition Pakistani fans when he hits a century.

Imran Khan is jailed by his own countrymen.

Not even a debate lol.

 

[saimayubera]

Imran Khan is more comparable with Tom Cruise, Muhammad Ali, Hulk Hogan etc. There’s not a place in the world where people don’t recognize him by name or face such was his cultural impact. He’s one of the rare men in the history of cricket who was not only loved by women but also men. Pakistan’s homosexual men population grew by 73% during Imran Khan’s stardom, an unprecedented rise. Tell me how many men on this forum keep a photo of Kohli in their purse or diary? Bet you won’t find one and yet that is still a common thing in Pakistan. It is alleged that the King of Saudi Arabia at that time proposed to marry Imran and let him inherit all his jewels. Women in Philipines, Morocco, Azerbaijan get Immy tattooed on them to this day.

Virat never reached those levels. Not even close.

Lots of homeroticness within the current Pakistani team tbh, especially Naseem Shah.

 

[Tera Gawaandi]

Imran is an elite, he is not a commoner. So he provides a sneak peak of socialite lifestyle to unparh gareeb junta of subcontinent. He is not a rags to riches story likes Jaiswal. No one cares about lower middle class truth be told, likes of Ashwin/Kohli/Babar belong to. It's better to be elite like Ganguly or Imran and dirt poor like Jaiswal.

Imran is extremely handsome and masculine, it's as if Hritik Roshan being ATG cricketer for India. Pat Cummins is extremely good looking and supreme athlete for Australia.

Some desi's seek validation and acceptance from whites, Imran provides that in bucket loads. A Canadian white lady spoke to me in Punjabi and when inquired how she got conversation level fluency, she told me she was in Pakistan for almost a decade and helped with training hospital staff and even saw Imran in person. She described Imran as some greek god.

Imran's fame benefitted from 80's party and drug culture, imagine a subdued Immi playing under Inzi or Rizwan. No matter how much rizz Immy exudes, it just won't work under these two captains.

Language skills matter, no one will consider Ashwin an intellect of the game if not for his English. He can tell a story. Same goes for Gavaskar, David or Sangakkara.

Kohli worked hard to reach where he is, he made best of his potential. Kohli is in the mold of Ponting. Ponting came so close to god gifted Lara and Tendulkar with his grit. Kohli showed discipline, determination and hunger.

it's hard to predict who will be more popular today, not everyone aspires to have kind of fame Imran had. Some people live on morals, OTOH as one poster above posted 'Immy has been on Epstein island few times' their yardstick for fame is completely different.

 

[JaDed]

IK would be more popular, but overall the biggest cricketer always will be Sir Viv, even Muhammad Ali knew him for what he did against racist Saffers.

Bur Viv came out from West Delhi middleclass so that’s big unlike IK who was extremely well to do already.

 

[RexRex]

Imran Khan is in a jail cell right now. There's not a single prominent cricket figure, past or present, who has spoken about his plight.

 

[JaDed]

IK would be more popular, but overall the biggest cricketer always will be Sir Viv, even Muhammad Ali knew him for what he did against racist Saffers.

Bur Viv came out from West Delhi middleclass so that’s big unlike IK who was extremely well to do already.

Virat nor Viv for West Delhi

 

[JaDed]

if such hypotheticals help cope with the current state, good for you guys.

That’s exactly what it is ..

 

[RahulBose]

I mean what kind of weird comparison is this, Imran was popular when there was no competition.

It was running alone and coming first.

Kohli is popular in the time of social media when any tom dick or Harry can be popular.
The competition is insane.

With the power Indian population behind Kohli, it is not even a fair game.

Imran would be as popular as anyone from Pakistan can be in this day and age, ie nobody cares

 

[saimayubera]

I mean what kind of weird comparison is this, Imran was popular when there was no competition.

It was running alone and coming first.

Kohli is popular in the time of social media when any tom dick or Harry can be popular.
The competition is insane.

With the power Indian population behind Kohli, it is not even a fair game.

Imran would be as popular as anyone from Pakistan can be in this day and age, ie nobody cares

Also in this more conservative Pak, he wouldn't have that flamboyance and be a conservative religious guy.

That's why Pakistani fans love Kohli, their entire team is "swagless".

 

[umerz]

The aura that Imran Khan still possesses is unmatchable he is a natural. Nothing against anyone but Indian media is stronger in terms of the global presence but there is no match to Imran Khan

 

[NishanKonar]

Imran Khan or Virat KOhli were never really global superstars like Usain Bolt , Djokovic, Tiger Woods. They were only known by cricket playing nations. Nobody outside those nations wud have a clue who Imran or Kohli are

Cricket fan bases live in their own bubbles and like to beleive their favourite star is actually well known worldwide. Remember the shock when Maria Sharapova innocently told she had no idea who Sachin Tendulkar was !

So we can keep over-exxagerating Imran or Kohli's stardom but in reality outside desi cultures nobody cares. Ask an average Englishman or Australian - yes they wud have heard the names of Imran or Kohli - but nothing beyond that

 

[NishanKonar]

Another important factor is cricket has changed a lot since the time of Imran Khan

In the 70s & 80s cricket was hugely popular in England / Australia. In ENgland even the elites / royals / socialites were heavily involved in the sport. Queen Elizabeth wud regularly attend the Lords test and meet with the players before the start. Lords had a special section for the royals - like they have in Wimbledon right now. Page 3 socialites like Mick Jagger wud be regularly rubbing shoulders with cricketers. Also the masses were more into the sport. Thats why Imran Khan . Ian Botham , Viv Richards were such larger than life characters in that era

Now that era is gone. The elites as well as masses in UK don't care about the sport any more. King Charles wont bother attending Lords test. Ed Sheeran & David Beckham wont recognize the top cricketers of England. Ben Stokes & Joe Root can walk around a mall in England without getting recognized

So irrespective of what u think - if Imran Khan was playing today - he wud be just another Pakistan cricketer making his living in county cricket. He wont be attending those Page 3 parties or get invited to royal events in England any more. The only countries where cricketers still get royal treatment is the subcontinent. Pat Cummins is more much more popular in India / Pakistan than his own nation

 

[Golu-momin]

Yeah. Imran is 4-5 times above Kohli in terms of stardom and elegance.

Kohli is not much outside of cricket field. Even within cricket field, his legacy has been tarnished a bit due to his lunatic behaviors.

Are you in dreams of bangladesh winning the worldcup in 3051?seems so

 

[jnaveen1980]

Imran khan being a playboy is somehow being equated to global superstardom here.

 

[Local.Dada]

Imran Khan’s “western calmness” wouldn’t be accepted in the current Pak team I feel.

 

[globetrotter]

Considering current situation of Pakistan, Virat commercial successful than IK…
But hang PCB never selected IK currently bcos Babar is lumber one player and it would have been clash of egos between him and IK

 

[saimayubera]

Imran Khan’s “western calmness” wouldn’t be accepted in the current Pak team I feel.

yup same thing I said. No way someone of Imran's background would even make it into the Pak team. Would prolly go off to England and play there.

Pakistan team has become quiet conservative especially post Inzy, due to Zia era factors.

Forget Imran's sophisticated Anglophilic style, even Wasim/Shoaib/Asif level "desi cool" is not present.

Pandya is that level of "desi cool".

 

[charlie007]

Imran Khan was a superstar then and would remain a superstar today. He would bring a lot greater commitment out from the current Pakistan team and the non performers would be shown the door. Probably, Babar and Rizwan would never play T20 again.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Imran was a massive figure in Pakistan by some distance. I don't argue with that. He was not a global superstar by any stretch of imagination. Kohli in this woke world perfectly fits. This is what global star looks like.

 

[NishanKonar]

Imran was a massive figure in Pakistan by some distance. I don't argue with that. He was not a global superstar by any stretch of imagination. Kohli in this woke world perfectly fits. This is what global star looks like.

Naah

Nobody really knows Kohli outside cricket playing nations. Everyone else except many be Stephen Curry & Conor MacGregor are like household names worldwide

Like u ask 100 Chinese or 100 Americans who is KOhli - nobody wud know. But majority of them wud have heard of Messi / Nadal / Federer / Tiger Woods

In a way cricket stardom is like Super Bowl in USA. Massive thing in their respective country but barely known to outside world !

 

[Bewal Express]

Kohli is a cricketeting superstar in India, IK was a world wide superstar in the cricketing and none Cricketing Worid

 

[Savak]

If Imran was a massive hit in India, Australia, England and to some extent in Canada, USA in the age of no social media. Why would his fame not quadruple if he was playing in the modern era of social media in his prime today?

 

[Local.Dada]

Imran Khan wouldn’t be able to hang around Bollywood stars like he was doing in 70s and 80s. That cuts into a lot of his popularity.

Also don’t think a Caucasian looking person (most pasthuns are) who can speak decent English will not stick out in 2025.

Also he wouldn’t be a T20 player: as I said he was a combo of Misbah the batsman and a good swing bowler so he wouldn’t be more in demand than Pandya, Russell etc.

He wouldn’t be accepted in Pakistan with his lifestyle.

So don’t think he would be as big as Kohli.

 

[charlie007]

Kohli is a cricketeting superstar in India, IK was a world wide superstar in the cricketing and none Cricketing Worid

You might want to rethink that. Kohli is as popular as any cricketer could be. Cricket is being included in the Los Angeles Olympics primarily using Kohli and his global fan following (that is more than Lebron James btw) as a marketing tool.
I understand your urge to promote Imran’s image - and it’s well earned, he was a superstar too - but don’t incorrectly bring someone else down to advance your point.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Kohli is a cricketeting superstar in India, IK was a world wide superstar in the cricketing and none Cricketing Worid

Opposite of what you say. Your own cricketers are running after him like fanboys lol your past cricketers also worship kohli.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Naah

Nobody really knows Kohli outside cricket playing nations. Everyone else except many be Stephen Curry & Conor MacGregor are like household names worldwide

Like u ask 100 Chinese or 100 Americans who is KOhli - nobody wud know. But majority of them wud have heard of Messi / Nadal / Federer / Tiger Woods

In a way cricket stardom is like Super Bowl in USA. Massive thing in their respective country but barely known to outside world !

Anyone who follows cricket know him. Federer follows cricket. He knows him well. Jo de Maggio is popular in USA. How many from outside world know him? Nobody. I am.also surprised how famous Kohli is.

 

[charlie007]

If Imran was a massive hit in India, Australia, England and to some extent in Canada, USA in the age of no social media. Why would his fame not quadruple if he was playing in the modern era of social media in his prime today?

Back in the days, I used to have a poster of Imran on my cupboard door alongside Gavaskar, Kapil, and Richards. I truly feel sad and disgusted when people bring these or current greats down to advance their agendas.

 

[Local.Dada]

If Imran was a massive hit in India, Australia, England and to some extent in Canada, USA in the age of no social media. Why would his fame not quadruple if he was playing in the modern era of social media in his prime today?

Imran wasn’t more popular in India than Kapil Dev or Gavaskar. Let me clear that misconception. Kapil Dev had a World Cup in 83 as a 24 yr old; played a legendary 175 knock.

As far as Imran’s good looks he was good looking for a cricketer. India has a film industry and the actors for good or bad are worshipped and celebrated for their glamour.

Indian following matters. He also needed Bollywood stars to raise funds for his hospital. Not saying it in a negative way because that was good intent.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Back in the days, I used to have a poster of Imran on my cupboard door alongside Gavaskar, Kapil, and Richards. I truly feel sad and disgusted when people bring these or current greats down to advance their agendas.

Tendulkar is always the no.1. MSD is peculiar case. Very very low profile person. Not active in social media. But a cult hero in world cricket. There is not a match where they don't bring his name. He even outdoes Kohli comfortably In the IPL in terms of popularity even after retirement.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Imran wasn’t more popular in India than Kapil Dev or Gavaskar. Let me clear that misconception. Kapil Dev had a World Cup in 83 as a 24 yr old; played a legendary 175 knock.

As far as Imran’s good looks he was good looking for a cricketer. India has a film industry and the actors for good or bad are worshipped and celebrated for their glamour.

Indian following matters. He also needed Bollywood stars to raise funds for his hospital. Not saying it in a negative way because that was good intent.

Imran khan was hated guys lol Don't assume he was a hero in India. FL zaheer Abbas had more love than Imran. But historically Wasim Alram has left him to dust in terms of popularity in India. Heck even Akhtar isnpopular.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Imran khan was a genuine global star well known and followed in Hollywood and the elite of West.

Is there any proof of this? Or at least some authentic surveys or articles?
Vis was more popular than any other cricketer during those days. I don’t think Imran was popular outside of Pakistan.

 

[charlie007]

Tendulkar is always the no.1. MSD is peculiar case. Very very low profile person. Not active in social media. But a cult hero in world cricket. There is not a match where they don't bring his name. He even outdoes Kohli comfortably In the IPL in terms of popularity even after retirement.

Agree - I grew up from my poster collecting days from a magazine called Sportstar that used to have cricketers’ centerfold that I used to eagerly await every month .
People don’t realize we are fortunate to have witnessed so many legends of the game in our lifetime and should cherish their memories rather than sully their names by comparisons with their favorites. It’s a big world where all of them can easily coexist.

 

[Local.Dada]

Imran khan was hated guys lol Don't assume he was a hero in India. FL zaheer Abbas had more love than Imran. But historically Wasim Alram has left him to dust in terms of popularity in India. Heck even Akhtar isnpopular.

I don’t think he was hated hated. He used to speak just like Afridi as a diplomat in India and in Pak say like we used to treat games in India as jihad etc.

Due to lack of social media people didn’t catch the dual statements. Even I used to have the impression as a kid, Imran is such a aman ki asha guy while Miandad hates India etc but only later I realized Miandad was atleast straightforward.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Kohli is a cricketeting superstar in India, IK was a world wide superstar in the cricketing and none Cricketing Worid

How? On what basis are you saying this?

 

[Local.Dada]

Tendulkar is always the no.1. MSD is peculiar case. Very very low profile person. Not active in social media. But a cult hero in world cricket. There is not a match where they don't bring his name. He even outdoes Kohli comfortably In the IPL in terms of popularity even after retirement.

MSD symbolizes the average aspirations of middle class and poor folks. He came from a non-powerful cricketing area from a humble background and his personality and success doubled that aura.

For example Sachin was a specially gifted talent: while we can admire him, we know he has a special gift and is 1 in a million.

Imran looks like a 2% elite that 98% of subcontinent folks can’t relate to. That was his appeal.

Gavaskar came from Mumbai and given his batting style didn’t appeal to the masses.

Kapil had some mass appeal but he didn’t have that cool personality like MSD.

Thats why MSD might be the cricketer with most mass appeal in India and by that default the world of cricket.

 

[charlie007]

Imran khan was hated guys lol Don't assume he was a hero in India. FL zaheer Abbas had more love than Imran. But historically Wasim Alram has left him to dust in terms of popularity in India. Heck even Akhtar isnpopular.

That is not true. Imran in his playing days was very popular and admired in India. Nobody was crazy about him as such but people appreciated his skills and knew him as a great of the game. Akram (and to an extent Akhtar) is more popular because of his appearance on TV and today being the era of social media. Zaheer Abbas didn’t perform as well in India but was dominant against India in Pakistan, Miandad was regarded as a much tougher batsman to bowl to in that era.

 

[Local.Dada]

Agree - I grew up from my poster collecting days from a magazine called Sportstar that used to have cricketers’ centerfold that I used to eagerly await every month .
People don’t realize we are fortunate to have witnessed so many legends of the game in our lifetime and should cherish their memories rather than sully their names by comparisons with their favorites. It’s a big world where all of them can easily coexist.

Sport star and sports world. Also not just cricket posters but also from all sports. I had a Martina Navratilova poster in my room , maybe Sabatini or Graf my parents would have had an issue

 

[jnaveen1980]

I don’t think he was hated hated. He used to speak just like Afridi as a diplomat in India and in Pak say like we used to treat games in India as jihad etc.

Due to lack of social media people didn’t catch the dual statements. Even I used to have the impression as a kid, Imran is such a aman ki asha guy while Miandad hates India etc but only later I realized Miandad was atleast straightforward.

From my memory his statements about India, Indian players didn't go well with Indians. Always appeared to be cunning.

 

[charlie007]

Sport star and sports world. Also not just cricket posters but also from all sports. I had a Martina Navratilova poster in my room , maybe Sabatini or Graf my parents would have had an issue

You’re kindling old memories my friend. Fun days! And yeah, Graf and Sabatini were magnets and fuel for young boys with raging hormones

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Tendulkar is always the no.1. MSD is peculiar case. Very very low profile person. Not active in social media. But a cult hero in world cricket. There is not a match where they don't bring his name. He even outdoes Kohli comfortably In the IPL in terms of popularity even after retirement.

MSD surpassed Tendulkar long ago in terms of popularity and commercial appeal. After the 2011 World Cup, the gap became even larger. MSD has a cult-level following.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Some notable achievements of Virat Kohli:

• ESPN ranked Kohli among the world's most renowned athletes.
• BBC Ranking 2024: Virat Kohli was ranked 6th among the top 10 most admired sportsmen worldwide.
• Google recognized Kohli and Cristiano Ronaldo as the most searched athletes in its 25-year history.
• Time Magazine included Kohli in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
• In 2019, Kohli was the only cricketer featured in Forbes' list of the "World's 100 Highest-Paid Athletes."
• He was also among the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world for the year 2020.
• Kohli is the most followed Asian individual on Instagram. Reports indicate that he commands a fee of ₹8.9 crore (equivalent to ₹9.4 crore or US$1.1 million in 2023) for each sponsored post on the platform.

 

[jnaveen1980]

MSD surpassed Tendulkar long ago in terms of popularity and commercial appeal. After the 2011 World Cup, the gap became even larger. MSD has a cult-level following.

Matthew Hayden worships him far more than he does Ponting lol

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Since this discussion is about global popularity and includes mentions of footballers, I am sharing some popular football players who follow Virat Kohli.


Paul Pogba, the French footballer and World Cup winner who has played for top clubs like Manchester United and Juventus, extended heartfelt birthday wishes to Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli.

“Virat, happy birthday my boy. He’s a legend, he is literally the best cricket player in the entire world.”

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-stream-video-goes-viral-101730861986312.html

Former Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) wished Kohli on his birthday.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1191544396220514304

Germany and Bayern Munich footballer Thomas Muller dons Virat Kohli's jersey, wishes

https://twitter.com/x/status/1135524238943764480

The former Brazilian captain Chelsea's star defender David Luiz special wishes to Kohli

https://twitter.com/x/status/1132610262748540930

England Captain Hary Kane:

David Beckham