With every high six, every goal and every final finish, the algorithm rewarded the “lesser known” players.
Data obtained by India Today shows a clear increase in Instagram followers for players from Afghanistan, Nepal and the US. What happened on the 22-yard field was almost immediately transferred to the fingertips.
The India Today Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team has tracked the surge in interest on Instagram and X players who have grabbed headlines with runs, wickets and high-pressure moments in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Threads of conversation increasingly revolve around Afghanistan, USA and Nepal – teams with previous flashes of giant-slaying pedigree. For example, USA’s famous victory over Pakistan in the last home T20 World Cup and Nepal’s series victory over West Indies have already planted the faith.
There is a clear pattern. Growth in social media followers is more directly related to narrative moments, fumbles, bold moves, early breakthroughs and backlash against front-runners, and less so to outright wins. The underdogs don’t always lift the silverware, but when they push the giants to the brink, the digital scoreboard tilts in their favor.
HOW THE INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM REACTED TO PERFORMANCE
From a rare double super thriller between South Afghanistan and Afghanistan to Nepal falling agonizingly short of a historic chase against England, the tournament has already delivered drama this time around – the cricket was electric as the algorithm watched closely.
The follower growth for Afghanistan players has mixed traditional appeal with an event-driven surge. Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched clear traction in the double super-over against South Africa, hitting three consecutive sixes when 24 were needed from four balls. He gained over 17,000 followers on February 11th and 12th alone, while our 14-day data shows over 4,000 net gains after earlier losses in the period.
Nepal’s near upset against England triggered one of the brightest digital leaps. Lokesh Bam’s counter-attacking 39 with a strike rate of 200 has made him a breakout name, gaining 13,203 followers in the last two weeks, surpassing 7,000 on that single day.
In the same window of the match, captain Rohit Kumar Paudel, who anchored the innings with a measured 39 off 34 balls, registered a one-day jump of 9,068 followers on 10 February. The innings wasn’t explosive, but it was commanding, and the data shows that spectators reward composure under pressure as much as brute force.
Digital momentum for the US took a slightly different arc. Saurabh Netravalkar saw an increase of 5,614 followers on February 8, the day after the clash against India. Despite the costly outing, many expected a repeat of his previous World Cup heroics against Pakistan.
Ali Khan’s rise was more connected to events. He saw a three-day surge of over 2,000 followers each day, starting with a jump of 2,866 the day after the India match. His first-ball dismissal of India’s destructive opener Abhishek Sharma, thereby slowing down India’s power play, kept the USA in the contest and generated instant traction online.
CONFIRMATION AT X, FROM THE CRICKET FIELD TO ‘THE FIELD’
The conversation on X during the February 6-12 window mirrored the rise of Instagram. Rahmanullah Gurbaz led the chatter with around 16,000 posts, followed by Nepal captain Rohit Paudel with 13,000. USA pacer Saurabh Netravalkar generated nearly 11,000 posts, while Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan featured in around 10,000 discussions.
In Netravalkar’s case, volume wasn’t just about his spells with the ball. As a software engineer in Silicon Valley, he has a dual identity. Conversations revolved around his role on the field for the US and his technical background.
– The end
Published on:
February 12, 2026
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