Virat Kohli–Rahul Vaidya row: What's happening?

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / May 6, 2025, 12:55 IST

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IPL 2025 is witnessing off-field drama as singer Rahul Vaidya mocks Virat Kohli over a social media 'like' incident involving influencer Avneet Kaur. Kohli blamed Instagram's algorithm, leading to Vaidya's sarcastic response and alleged blocking. This sparked a fan backlash, with Vaidya hitting back, criticizing Kohli's fans and questioning Kohli's character, escalating the situation into a full-blown social media feud.

Virat Kohli–Rahul Vaidya row: What's happening?

Virat Kohli and Rahul Vaidya

The off-field buzz during IPL 2025 has taken a dramatic turn with social media accusations by singer Rahul Vaidya towards cricket superstar Virat Kohli and his fans grabbing the spotlight.
While Kohli leads the Orange Cap race with 505 runs from 11 matches, it's not just his batting that's trending — a social media controversy has fans and celebs clashing.
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How it started

The row began when Kohli's Instagram account appeared to like a post featuring influencer Avneet Kaur. The interaction quickly went viral, prompting Kohli to issue a public clarification, blaming Instagram's algorithm.
"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."
Who's that IPL player?

Rahul Vaidya's entry
Singer Rahul Vaidya jumped into the conversation with a mocking Instagram story, parodying Kohli's explanation:
"Aaj ke baad aisa ho sakta hai ki algorithm bohot saare photos like karde jo maine nahi kare. So jo bhi ladki ho, please don't do PR around it because it is not my mistake. It is Instagram's mistake, okay?"

Vaidya later claimed that Kohli had blocked him on Instagram, sarcastically suggesting that it too might've been an algorithm glitch.
"I think that too is an Instagram glitch… Instagram ne bola hoga Virat Kohli ko, ‘Main tere behalf pe Rahul Vaidya ko block kardeti hoon.'"

Poll

How do you feel about Rahul Vaidya mocking Kohli's explanation?

It was uncalled forIt was funny, I support him

Fans strike back
Soon after Vaidya's jibe, Kohli's fans began trolling and abusing him online. The singer responded angrily, especially after his family became targets.
"Virat Kohli's fans are even bigger jokers than Virat! You are abusing my wife, my sister… who have nothing to do with this. That's why I say, you Virat fans are jokers — 2 kaudi ke jokers."

Vaidya's clarification
Vaidya clarified that he still respects Kohli the cricketer, but not necessarily the man.
"I used to be his fan. I am still a fan of the cricketer, but I don't endorse him as a human being… My post about Virat and Avneet was just a joke."
So, what's happening?

Kohli says the 'like' was accidental, algorithm-driven.
Rahul Vaidya mocked the excuse, got blocked (allegedly).
Kohli fans attacked Vaidya online.
Vaidya hit back hard, calling fans and Kohli "jokers."
The spat is now a full-fledged social media drama.

About the Author

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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