Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma outranks Messi, Ronaldo in Wikipedia searches

The ICC World Cup 2023 witnessed a surge in popularity for cricket stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, making them the most-visited personalities on Wikipedia during the months of October and November. The dynamic duo, instrumental in India's journey to the World Cup final in Ahmedabad, outshone global football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in terms of page hits on the online encyclopedia.

Virat Kohli's Wikipedia page garnered over 5 million visitors, securing the top spot, while Rohit Sharma closely followed with more than 4.7 million hits. Ronaldo and Messi, with 4.4 million and 4.3 million hits, respectively, trailed behind the Indian cricket legends in the third and fourth positions.

Despite their outstanding performances—Kohli being the Player of the World Cup with 765 runs and Rohit securing second place with 597 runs—India faced a heart-wrenching defeat against Australia in the final.

The success of the World Cup extended beyond the field, as host broadcasters reported remarkable viewership figures. Star Sports channels drew in 518 million fans on television, while 295 million viewers tuned in via the OTT platform Disney+Hotstar. The India vs Australia final set a new peak viewership record on Disney+Hotstar, reaching nearly 5.9 crore, surpassing previous records set during the India-New Zealand semifinal.

The tournament's overall success was highlighted by India vs Pakistan league match, which recorded a peak concurrency of 3.5 crore viewers, underscoring the immense popularity and global appeal of cricket's premier