A fresh twist has emerged in the social media buzz surrounding Indian cricket star Virat Kohli after German influencer and singer LizLaz claimed she was allegedly offered money to publicly speak against the cricketer. Her statement has added another layer of controversy to the viral Instagram episode that has been circulating widely online.
The influencer made the claim during an interview with Filmymantra Media. According to LizLaz, some journalists approached her with an offer to make negative statements about Kohli and even level accusations against him. However, she said she immediately rejected the idea.
She explained that she had no reason to harm the reputation of a cricketer she respects. In the interview, she said that she was asked to say things about Kohli that he had never done, but she refused because she did not want publicity or money at the cost of someone’s reputation.
LizLaz also clarified that she actually admires Kohli and considers him one of her favourite cricketers. She stressed that she would never participate in a smear campaign or create controversy simply to gain attention online.
The entire issue began when social media users noticed that Kohli’s Instagram account had apparently “liked” an older post featuring LizLaz along with photographer Advait Vaidya. The interaction quickly caught attention because Kohli does not follow the influencer on the platform.
Screenshots of the like spread rapidly across social media, triggering memes, jokes and speculation among fans. Many users also recalled a similar situation from 2025 involving actress and influencer Avneet Kaur. At that time, Kohli had explained that the interaction was accidental and related to Instagram’s algorithm while he was clearing his feed.
This time as well, the internet reacted with humour, with several users jokingly repeating the phrase “algorithm registered another interaction,” which soon started trending across platforms.
Interestingly, LizLaz said she initially had no idea that her name was being discussed online. She revealed that she only discovered the situation after receiving multiple calls and messages from people asking her about the viral post.
She also expressed sympathy for Kohli, noting that the cricketer faced heavy trolling after the screenshots began circulating on social media.
Adding to the discussion, an older video of LizLaz resurfaced online where she was seen expressing support for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In that video, she described herself as a fan of the franchise and praised Kohli as one of the most exciting players to watch in modern cricket.
While the online debate continues, Kohli’s performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League season has also been closely followed by fans. The opening batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru has scored 379 runs in his first eleven matches and has been a key contributor to the team’s strong campaign this year.
However, Kohli recently went through a brief rough patch with back-to-back ducks, facing just three balls across those two innings. Despite the dip in form, Bengaluru have continued their winning momentum and remain in a strong position as the tournament approaches its final phase.
For now, the Instagram “like” incident appears to be more of a viral internet moment than a serious controversy. With LizLaz publicly refusing any attempt to target Kohli, the episode has largely turned into another example of how quickly social media speculation can spiral around high-profile personalities.