MUMBAI — A single tap on Instagram can ignite a firestorm, and that’s exactly what happened when cricket legend Virat Kohli “liked” a photo of actress Avneet Kaur on May 1, 2025. The internet exploded, memes flew, and Kohli scrambled to explain it was all a glitch. But the real question buzzing from Delhi’s chai stalls to Mumbai’s high-rises: Who is Avneet Kaur, the 24-year-old who found herself at the center of this social media whirlwind?
Kaur, born on October 13, 2001, in Jalandhar, Punjab, isn’t some overnight sensation. She’s been grinding in the entertainment world since she was eight, kicking off her career on Zee TV’s Dance India Dance Li’l Masters in 2010. A pint-sized performer with big dreams, she didn’t win the dance show but caught enough eyes to land her first acting gig two years later. In 2012, she played Jhilmil in Life OK’s Meri Maa, a role that marked her as a kid to watch. From there, she bounced to shows like Savitri – Ek Prem Kahani in 2013, playing Rajkumari Damayanti, and Ek Mutthi Aasmaan, where she was Pakhi, a character that cemented her as a small-screen staple.
Her big-screen break came in 2014 with Mardaani, a gritty crime drama starring Rani Mukerji. Kaur’s role as Meera was small but memorable, showing she could hold her own in Bollywood’s intense corners. She didn’t abandon TV, though. In 2018, she nabbed the lead as Sultana Yasmine in Aladdin – Naam Toh Suna Hoga, a fantasy series that ran until 2020 and made her a household name. Health issues forced her to step away mid-show, but by then, her star was rising fast.
Kaur’s not just a TV darling. She’s a social media juggernaut, boasting over 32 million Instagram followers—a number that dwarfs some A-list Bollywood names. Her posts, often bold and glamorous, keep her in the spotlight, whether she’s sharing fashion shoots or music video snippets. Speaking of music, she’s starred in hits like Kesariyo Rang and Paagla, racking up millions of YouTube views. In 2023, she took a leap with Tiku Weds Sheru, an Amazon Prime film opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The age gap between the leads sparked chatter, but Kaur’s performance as a small-town dreamer held its own.
She’s not stopping there. In June 2024, Kaur starred in Luv Ki Arrange Marriage with Sunny Singh, a rom-com that added to her growing filmography. That same year, she walked the red carpet at Cannes to announce Love in Vietnam, an international project co-starring Shantanu Maheshwari and Vietnamese actress Kha Ngan. And in a jaw-dropping move, she’s set to make her Hollywood debut in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning alongside Tom Cruise, slated for release in May 2025. Not bad for a kid from Jalandhar.
The Kohli incident? It started when fans noticed his verified account liked a fan-page post of Kaur in a green crop top and printed skirt, shared on April 30, 2025. Screenshots spread like wildfire, with some jokingly dragging Kohli’s wife, actress Anushka Sharma, into the fray. On May 2, Kohli posted a statement on Instagram Stories: “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. Thank you for your understanding.” The like was gone by then, but the internet’s meme machine was already in overdrive.
Kaur, for her part, hasn’t commented on the saga. She’s been linked to cricket before—rumors swirled about her and cricketer Shubman Gill after they were spotted together at an ICC Champions Trophy event in Dubai earlier in 2025. Gill shut down the gossip, saying he’s been single for years. Kaur, meanwhile, keeps her focus on work, from Bollywood to Hollywood and beyond.
She studied commerce at a private college in Kandivali, Mumbai, balancing books with her bustling career. Now, at 24, she’s a multi-hyphenate—actress, influencer, dancer—who’s navigated child stardom, TV fame, and Bollywood’s glare with a knack for staying relevant. The Kohli glitch only proves her knack for grabbing headlines, intentional or not.
Kaur lives in Mumbai. She’s active on Instagram under the handle
@avneetkaur_13
. Her next projects include Love in Vietnam and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Kohli plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, where his team has won seven of ten matches as of May 3, 2025.