Virat Kohli rang in the New Year 2026 on a playful and intimate note, but what followed online was classic Kohli fandom at its loudest. The former Indian cricket captain shared a picture with his wife, actress Anushka Sharma, on New Year’s Eve, showing the couple with half-painted faces. While Anushka sported a delicate butterfly design, Kohli’s face featured none other than Spider-Man, a visual that instantly caught the internet’s attention.
Kohli posted the picture on December 31 with the caption, “Stepping into 2026 with the light of my life.” Soon after clocking out from the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kohli opted to celebrate the arrival of the New Year 2026 with his family in an intimate affair.
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In the picture, dressed casually, Kohli wore a grey T-shirt paired with cream-coloured trousers, while Anushka opted for a white top and blue jeans. Standing close, Kohli had his arm wrapped around Anushka’s shoulder as both smiled warmly for the camera.
However, it wasn’t just the couple’s chemistry that grabbed eyeballs. The Spider-Man face paint on Kohli’s face triggered an unexpected social media frenzy. Known for their intense loyalty, Kohli’s fans took the reference quite literally and began flooding the official Instagram account of Spider-Man with comments chanting the cricketer’s name.
Within hours, Spider-Man’s recent posts, including one uploaded nearly a month ago on December 5, saw a massive surge in engagement. The post has now crossed over 52,000 likes and more than 13,000 comments, most of them dominated by Virat Kohli fans spamming slogans, emojis, and tributes to the batting legend.
This is not the first time Kohli’s fandom has spilled over onto unrelated brands or accounts. During the Champions Trophy 2025, a light-hearted video of Kohli attempting a bottle flip with a Bisleri bottle went viral. When the flip failed, fans reportedly took offence and began trolling and spamming Bisleri’s social media handles, forcing the brand into the spotlight for reasons far removed from cricket.
