‘Felt a bit sorry for Virat Kohli’: LizLaz says she’s a Kohli ‘fan’, ‘appreciates’ his support

On Friday, Virat Kohli found himself at the centre of attention after he allegedly liked a post by German influencer LizLaz on the platform, only to unlike it later. While it remains unclear whether the interaction was accidental or the result of an algorithm glitch, it was enough to set off a wave of reactions across the internet. Now, LizLaz, who went viral after the incident, has spoken about the experience. “It was crazy because I woke up and then I was all over the news,” she told HT City. “I don’t even know when he liked the picture, I learnt through the news. So many people found the articles done on me on many different platforms and sent them to me in my DMs. I got so many messages today, people were super excited about it.” An older clip of the influencer has also resurfaced, in which she speaks about her fondness for Kohli, calling herself a fan. She explained that this interest began during her first visit to India last year, when she was introduced to cricket. She watched Kohli play during the Indian Premier League. “It was obviously the IPL last year, so I started watching with my Bangalorean friends. It was contagious. I was also becoming a Royal Challengers Bangalore fan. And obviously, if you support RCB, Virat Kohli is the most exciting player to watch. He’s just so good. So I was happy about him liking the picture.” When asked whether she felt disappointed that the post was later unliked, she responded, “No, I felt a bit sorry for him actually! I was so happy that he liked it, but then him unliking it, I felt a bit bad for him because I don’t even know how it became such a big story. How did people notice, how did they make it news… that was probably not his intention behind it, but still I am grateful for it and I appreciate the support from him.” She added that the sudden attention has led to new queries about work opportunities, and she is open to exploring options in India. She also expressed a desire to visit the country again soon. Also Read | Assi vs Mardaani 3: The grammar of rage in the era of hypermasculine cinema A similar controversy had emerged last year when fans noticed that Kohli had ‘liked’ a post by Avneet Kaur on Instagram. At the time, Kohli issued a clarification, attributing the interaction to the platform’s algorithm. He wrote, “I’d like to clarify that 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.” However, the explanation only added to the online buzz. Avneet had also subtly responded to the situation. When asked about receiving appreciation from prominent figures online, she told media, “May the love keep coming.” LizLaz, whose real name is Jennifer, is a German-South African travel vlogger and singer. She has built a growing fan base in India, particularly after her song Samosa Samosa gained popularity online. Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.