Social Media has become the yardstick for measuring the popularity of a luminary in this generation. It has brought closure between fans and their favorite cricketers while enabling players to keep fans updated on different aspects of their daily life.
In today’s digital world, it has become imperative for cricketers to remain active on social media and wow fans with regular updates, be it posts, photos, or videos. This includes posting pictures of their workouts to the different hairstyles they sport and posting pictures and videos with their loved ones.
The most renowned Indian cricketers have millions of followers on social media and provide toing moments to their fans with regular updates. Most of them have stepped up to keep fans fulfilled with regular updates on their social media handles through quotes, videos, photos, memes, etc.
The IPL has been one of the most Macho tournaments in all sports, with breathtaking action on the field and plenty off the field on various social media forums like Twitter and Instagram.
The players have used social media to build their brands, achieve popularity and become icons. This allows them to #StayToing amongst fans to achieve cult status in the cricketing world.
While Virat Kohli is the most popular Indian cricketer with 55.6 Million Twitter followers and 264 Million Instagram followers, plenty of young Indian players have also taken to social media and increased their popularity in addition to the numerous toing moments on the field.
Let’s look at five young Indian IPL 2023 players with the highest fan following on social media.
#1 Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill has been the most impressive batsman among the young brigade of exciting batters from India, thereby becoming a fan favorite in quick time. Gill has been red hot form in the ongoing IPL season, scoring 469 runs at an average of 46.90 and a strike rate of 143.43.
He has been instrumental in the Gujarat Titans (GT) sitting atop the points table with eight wins from eleven games. Gill has also been in scintillating form in Indian colors since the start of the year, with a combined average of 61.25 across formats, with five centuries.
Indian fans hope Gill will #StayToing as they look to win the World Cup title at home later this year.
Gill’s batting style and charming personality have made the 23-year-old opening batter the most popular Indian cricketer among the next generation of young players, having 4.5 Million Instagram followers and 1 Million Twitter followers.
Gill’s macho swag combined with his lazy elegance in stroke play has made fans go #YehTohBadaToingHai.
Earlier in the year, Gill smashed an ODI double-century and a T20I century against New Zealand at home, giving fans across the country plenty of toing moments.
He also stroked an elegant century in the final test of the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Ahmedabad.
Instagram followers: 4.5 Million
Twitter followers: 1 Million
#2 Ishan Kishan
Mumbai Indians (MI) wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan has been one of the most destructive young batters in Indian cricket. The left-hander has had a relatively quiet season thus far in the IPL, scoring 335 runs at an average of 30.18 and a strike rate of 142.55.
Kishan was instrumental in MI’s title run in 2020, scoring 516 runs at an average of 57.33 and a strike rate of 145.76. Nicknamed Pocket Dynamo, the 24-year-old made his white-ball debut for India in 2021.
Boasting an excellent ODI average of 42.50 in 14 matches, Kishan provided fans with one of the #YehTohBadaToingHai moments over the past 12 months when he smashed the fastest ODI double century against Bangladesh in the final ODI of the three-match series.
The left-hander scored 210 off 131 deliveries and reached his double-century in just 126 balls to break Chris Gayle’s record and become only the fourth Indian to score a double-century.
Kishan’s diminutive look and aggressive stroke play at the top of the order have increased his popularity among fans, evidenced by 3.7 Million Instagram followers and 900K Twitter followers.
Fans will hope Kishan regains his best form again and provides plenty of toing moments in the coming years.
Instagram followers: 3.7 Million
Twitter followers: 900.4 K
#3 Prithvi Shaw
Delhi Capitals (DC) opener Prithvi Shaw burst onto the national stage after leading India to the Under 19 World Cup title in 2018.
Touted to be an heir apparent to former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, Shaw has been weighed down by the high expectations, leading him to be inconsistent for the Indian team and his franchise.
The talented stroke maker has struggled for form in the ongoing IPL, scoring just 47 runs in six innings before eventually being dropped from the DC playing XI. Shaw had a spectacular start to his International career, with a century on debut against the West Indies in 2018, making him the youngest Indian to score a test century in a #YehTohBadaToingHai moment.
However, the 23-year-old has struggled for consistency and has not featured for India since 2021.
Despite that, Prithvi Shaw remains among the most popular young cricketers, thanks to his classy and attacking strokeplay.
Shaw also has provided fans with plenty of toing moments with regular updates in his social media forum, making him among the most followed young Indian players, with 1.6 Million Instagram followers and 592.4 K Twitter followers.
Fans will hope Shaw regains his macho and swag back to provide more wow moments with the bat and storm his way back into the Indian team.
Instagram followers: 1.6 Million
Twitter followers: 592.4 K
#4 Washington Sundar
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Washington Sundar is the next in line of a long list of Indian spin-bowling all-rounders after Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel.
Sundar is one of the most soft-spoken youngsters who has made his mark already at different stages across formats for India. Despite being just 23 years of age, Sundar has picked up over 50 wickets for India and scored five half-centuries.
Unfortunately, the young off-spinner has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL with an injury. Indian fans will hope that Sundar recovers in time for the ODI World Cup at home in October.
Instagram followers: 1.6 Million
Twitter followers: 784 K
#5 Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal has been among the most likable up-and-coming youngsters in the IPL. The 22-year-old started his IPL career with one of the most popular franchises, Royal Challengers Bangalore, before moving to the Rajasthan Royals in 2022.
In his young IPL career, Padikkal has shown himself to be someone with a solid defensive technique and displayed great consistency from 2020 to 2022, with 350+ runs in all three years.
Despite not being one of the wow players on the circuit, the left-hander has been touted as one of the upcoming young Indian batters, particularly in the longer format.
Padikkal has been among the most likable young players thanks to his calm demeanor and easy-going personality.
Instagram followers: 1.6 Million
Twitter followers: 257.5 K
Which IPL 2023 player do you think is a social media king? Let us know what you think. #StayToing #SportoMacho
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