"Income tax ka chakkar Babu bhaiya" - Fans react as Virat Kohli denies earning ₹11.5 crore per social media post

Team India's star batter Virat Kohli has clarified that the reports of him earning a whopping ₹11.5 crore for every sponsored social media post aren't true.

According to a 2023 Instagram Rich List published by Hopper HQ, Kohli was ranked 14th based on the money he pockets for a promotional post on Instagram. He was also the third-richest athlete, as per the report, and the only Indian to feature in the top 25.

Reacting to the same, Kohli took to his Twitter handle on Saturday, stating that the aforementioned report about his social media earrings was incorrect.

"While I am grateful and indebted to all that I’ve received in life, the news that has been making rounds about my social media earnings is not true," he wrote.

Several fans responded to Kohli's clarification, with many joking that the former captain made those comments out of fear of the Income Tax Department.

Here are some of the best reactions:

https://twitter.com/Justin12393LEE/status/1690222595667525632

https://twitter.com/Ansh135795/status/1690243223556423680

https://twitter.com/GabbbarSingh/status/1690229341429620736

https://twitter.com/FarziCricketer/status/1690220979530924032

https://twitter.com/Fanpointofviews/status/1690222483394461696

https://twitter.com/HumanTsunaME/status/1690231676146978816

https://twitter.com/vkkings007/status/1690220768049942529

https://twitter.com/saifahmed75/status/1690230955083231232

https://twitter.com/TheBhatttman/status/1690222808000081920

https://twitter.com/urscoolrahul/status/1690223893242695680

https://twitter.com/Shahrcasm/status/1690220429351518209

https://twitter.com/daalmakhniiii/status/1690222205442174976

https://twitter.com/_naveenish/status/1690224033772769280

https://twitter.com/SharyOfficial/status/1690224810549284865

https://twitter.com/being_sunny1/status/1690224031042252800

It is worth mentioning that with 256 million followers, Virat Kohli is the most followed cricketer on Instagram.

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Virat Kohli will next be seen in action during Asia Cup 2023

Virat Kohli showcased impressive form during the two-match Test series against West Indies last month. The right-handed batter came up with a 76-run knock in the opening fixture in Roseau.

He notched up a wonderful century in the second Test in Port of Spain, scoring 121 runs in India's first innings. Kohli was part of the Men in Blue's squad for the ensuing three-match ODI series against the Windies.

However, he didn't get a chance to bat in the opening contest as India shuffled the batting order to give the other batters a chance. The seasoned campaigner was rested for the remaining two fixtures.

Kohli isn't participating in the ongoing five-match T20I series between India and West Indies. He is expected to play a major role for Rohit Sharma and Co. in the upcoming 2023 edition of the Asia Cup.

India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their first match of the continental tournament. The much-awaited game will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on September 2.