India National Cricket Team’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is making headlines once again, but this time, it’s not just for his on-field heroics but also for his social media influence. Hardik Pandya has now set a new record on social media after winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Hardik, who is known for his stylish persona and massive fan following, took to Instagram to share a celebratory post after India’s thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.
Hardik Pandya’s celebratory post overtakes Virat Kohli’s record, sets new Instagram milestone
In his trademark fashion, the 31-year-old recreated the iconic ‘Khaby Lame’ pose while holding the trophy, and this moment quickly took the internet by storm. Hardik’s post broke Virat Kohli’s record and became the fastest Instagram post by an Indian to reach 1 million likes, achieving the feat in just six minutes.
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Kohli’s Instagram post after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph garnered 1 million likes in seven minutes, while Hardik’s post took six minutes to reach 1 million likes, making the star all-rounder the fastest Indian to achieve this feat on the photo-sharing application.
The post has since amassed over 16 million likes and continues to trend, with more than 310,000 comments on Instagram. Hardik’s celebratory post has now joined the list of the most-liked sports posts in the world, highlighting his popularity on social media.
Here’s the record-breaking photo of Hardik Pandya:
Notably, Hardik took the trophy to the pitch and posed the same pose after winning the T20 World Cup 2024. Following his solo pose, Indian players soon joined Pandya for a group picture. He scored 99 runs at a strike rate of 106.45 and finished the CT 2025 with four wickets at an average of 35.75.
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I still need 5-6 more ICC trophies: Hardik Pandya
Meanwhile, after winning his second ICC title, Hardik said that he would love to add 5-6 more trophies to his cabinet. He had stated, “For me, it has always been about winning as many championships as I can. I did say when we won in 2024 that this is not done; I still need 5-6 more trophies there. I am very happy that one more is added. The Champions Trophy is done; the next goal is the ICC T20 World Cup in India, lifting the cup.”
Well, Pandya has not only made waves for just his powerful sixes but also for his luxurious watch collection during India’s Champions Trophy 2025 victory celebrations. He showed off a Richard Mille watch worth INR 21 crore in Dubai after the team’s first ODI title win in 12 years.
However, he will miss Mumbai Indians’ first match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming IPL 2025 due to a suspension from last season’s slow over-rate offense. Mumbai will face Chennai on March 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
