Be it a funny moment바카라s reaction video or a meme about a dropped catch, social media influencers are now as much a part of the cricket experience as the players on the field
Cricket is no longer just about bat and ball, fours and sixes바카라it바카라s about algorithms, engagement and going viral. There was a time when the sport revolved around four factors바카라cricketers, commentators, stadiums and fans. But the game has evolved. Now, it hums with reaction videos, trending hashtags, viral moments and digital stardom. There바카라s a new team in play: the influencers.
In the age of smartphones and social media, where scrolling begins even before brushing your teeth, digital creators have carved out their own space in the game that is treated as a festival in India. Open Instagram during a tight run-chase, and chances are you바카라ll see a reel capturing the drama before the next ball is bowled. Whether it바카라s a reaction video to a nail-biting finish, a meme about a dropped catch, or a reel depicting the vibe at the stadium, these social media influencers are now as much a part of the cricket experience as the players on the field.
And it바카라s not just random fan pages we바카라re talking about. These are professional influencers바카라creators handpicked by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to be the digital faces of their teams. Take for instance Shubham Gaur, in the Lucknow Super Giants jersey, cracking jokes with cricketers whom most fans only dream of meeting. Or that unmistakable moustached man in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) kit바카라바카라Mr. Nags바카라, AKA Danish Sait바카라spinning his hilarious brand of chaos from inside the team바카라s bubble.
Then there바카라s Sahiba Bali, turning heads in a Punjab Kings (PBKS) jersey, hosting shows like 바카라Kandid with Kings바카라, where she gets players to open up in the most unfiltered way. And joining this growing cast are Jasmeet Singh Bhatia with his witty comedy and Piyush Sharma with his creativity, both turning every day cricket moments into viral content.
Because that바카라s what fans crave바카라not just stats and match highlights, but behind-the-scenes banter, the off-duty quirks, the very real, very candid side of their cricketing idols.
Each team in India바카라s world-famous cricket league now comes with its own social media squad바카라a crew armed with cameras, captions, trends and a stream of ideas. From quirky quizzes and fun games to collaborations with stars like AP Dhillon and Harleen Deol, these creators shape the everyday content that fans love. Some franchises have seen their online engagement triple in a single season, just like the PBKS, who바카라ve cracked the code on content. But why does any of this matter?
As mentioned earlier, cricket has always revolved around four key pillars, in which it바카라s the fans who truly hold it all together. Without them, the cheers fade, the energy dies, and바카라let바카라s be honest바카라who바카라s buying the tickets? Fan engagement is the foundation of the entire sporting ecosystem. And somehow, influencers have become the bridge keeping that fandom thriving바카라online, 24X7.
Need proof? Meet the PBKS바카라 social media team. During the IPL 2025 season, they rolled out over 650 videos, racking up a staggering 3.6 billion views and attracting two million new followers. The fan engagement tripled compared to the previous season. They say that matching the die-hard fandom of season바카라s winners, RCB, isn바카라t easy, but PBKS came remarkably close. In fact, at certain periods, or on the day of the final, the engagement ratio tipped 51:49 in favour of the franchise co-owned by Preity Zinta.
Entering The Influencers Era
So, how exactly do influencers fit into sports? 바카라The first task is hiring the right people바카라and that바카라s no small job. PBKS have worked with influencers since 2021, but back then, things just weren바카라t clicking the way we hoped,바카라 says Varun Karkera, who heads the social media operations for PBKS.
Enter Jasmeet and Piyush바카라two stand-up comedians by profession, but hardcore cricket fans at heart. 바카라Whenever I watched a match, I바카라d instantly get ideas. That moment could be a meme, this moment could turn into a reel, that player deserves a hype video,바카라 says Jasmeet, who now boasts over 107K followers on Instagram. Piyush, who has around 30K followers, feels the same way. Eventually, the duo reached out to PBKS바카라 digital team. The fit was instant, and they were brought on board.
바카라Shikhar Dhawan took me to the room of players and said, 바카라Mahaul banao바카라 (set the vibe),바카라 laughs Jasmeet. Meeting the Indian southpaw is a dream for millions, but for Jasmeet and Piyush, it marked the beginning of something much bigger. 바카라It was the first time I바카라d ever met a cricketer in real life,바카라 Jasmeet recalls. 바카라And now, the entire PBKS team feels like family. That바카라s how destiny works.바카라
How do they keep fans engaged? And where do all these content ideas come from? 바카라Look, the players aren바카라t always available바카라they have to train, rest and recover. But during that downtime, fan engagement can바카라t stop. We have to keep the buzz alive and make it a two-way street for the fans on social media. That바카라s where influencers come in,바카라 explains Varun.
Jasmeet breaks it down further: 바카라The goal is also to give players their due spotlight. Earlier, broadcasters and commentators would do that on TV바카라but they had only a limited three to four-hour window during the match, including the pre and post-match events. Not everyone got talked about. That format might have made stars out of players like Shreyas Iyer or Josh Inglis, but what about someone like Shashank Singh or Priyansh Arya and others who are emerging and going beyond expectations? That바카라s where we come in as digital creators.바카라
In a way, influencers are playing a modern-day version of the commentator바카라s role바카라only now, they speak the language of the internet via mobile screens.
바카라Social media has changed the lens of commentary completely. Earlier, the narrative was driven by experts in the box바카라now it바카라s shaped by fans, creators and the internet. When Shreyas pulled off those last-over finishes for us this season, the memes, reels and fan edits hit Instagram before any commentary highlight did. Even moments like our dugout reactions or Preity바카라s cheers became the real post-match talking points,바카라 says Saurabh Arora, chief commercial officer of PBKS.
Before IPL 2025 even kicked off, the franchise dropped a hilarious, viral welcome video featuring the Aussie legend Ricky Ponting, who coached the team this year. Soon after, Jasmeet and Piyush rolled out the now-popular 바카라Sarpanch Sahab바카라 tag for captain Iyer, and a slogan for the team바카라바카라Bus Jeetna Hai바카라 (We Have To Win), giving fans a memorable hook to cheer around.
Even after the team shifted its home base from Mullanpur to Jaipur mid-season, fans, clad in the red jerseys, turned up in full volume. That kind of loyalty doesn바카라t come out of nowhere. A large share of the credit goes to the digital creators who built a spirited campaign across the team바카라s social handles.
바카라We바카라re not here to post stats, facts or news about the team, that바카라s not our job,바카라 said Jasmeet. 바카라Our role is to build an emotional connection between the fans and the players. That바카라s where the magic lies.바카라
The man orchestrating this behind the scenes, Karkera, once dreamed of playing cricket himself. He couldn바카라t make it to the field, but he couldn바카라t let go of the sport either. Now, he바카라s living his dream differently바카라working with the very team he grew up rooting for. And he바카라s not alone. Many creators and fans-turned-strategists are writing their cricket story in the most unexpected ways, off the pitch. They바카라re not just part of the cricket story anymore. They바카라re influencing it.
(Views expressed are personal)