India captain Virat Kohli was the most searched cricketer online in the first six months of 2020, according to a study by SEMrush.
The study stated that Kohli was searched an average of 16.2 lakh times per month from January to June in 2020. The other Indian cricketers in the top-10 of this list are Rohit Sharma (searched an average of 9.7 lakh times during the same period), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (9.4), Hardik Pandya (7.1), Sachin Tendulkar (6.7) and Shreyas Iyer (4.1).
There has been an increase in the popularity of women’s cricketers as well, according to the study. Indian opener Smriti Mandhana and Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry were 12th and 20th on the list of most searched cricketers.
India are on top when it comes to most searched cricket teams. They were followed by England, Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe.
“Finding that Virat Kohli is the most searched cricketer, and India, the most searched cricket team is unsurprising. Our study suggests that stereotypes of cricket as a man only sport no longer hold,” said Fernando Angulo, Head of Communications for SEMrush.