In mid-April 2026, the digital world and the Indian cricketing fandom was set ablaze when news broke of a shocking interaction between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) legend Virat Kohli and German influencer LizLaz. The story started when observant netizens noticed Kohli’s verified account “liking” an old photoshoot of the German-South African model, posted by celebrity photographer Advait Vaidya.
Many suspected it to be a simple ‘algorithm’ error as Avneet Kaur had faced similar situation in 2025 but the notification made LizLaz an overnight sensation in India. Now the story has taken a darker turn, with sensational allegations of media manipulation and bribery.
Who Is LizLaz?
Before the Kohli controversy, LizLaz, whose real name is Jennifer, was a niche favourite among Indian audiences. She holds a Master’s in Psychology and is a multi-faceted creator who began with her quirky viral hit ‘Samosa Samosa’ and deep-dive vlogs comparing German and Indian lifestyles. She speaks fluent Hindi and several regional languages and has built a bridge between cultures, often seen in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi.
The excitement reached a fever pitch in April when screenshots of Kohli ‘liking’ her January photoshoot went viral. It later turned out that Kohli did not like the picture but the German media jumped on the bandwagon, celebrating their local star’s sudden global fame.
A Shocking Twist: Allegations of Paid Slander
The story took a turn for the worse on May 11, 2026, when Dainik Bhaskar and others reported that LizLaz was being pushed by some parts of the media. The model had reportedly revealed that few magazines and journalists had come to her with big money to create negative stories or baseless allegations against the Indian batting legend.
LizLaz reportedly held her ground saying she was shocked at the lack of ethics. She mentioned that Kohli is still her favourite cricketer and she was just “happy and emotional” after being noticed by him. “Why would I say bad things about him for money? “I am not that kind of person,” she was quoted as saying, in effect calling out the sensationalist tactics some media houses use to exploit the “Kohli brand.”
Kohli’s On-Field Struggle and RCB’s Surge
In the midst of the off-field drama, Virat Kohli’s performance on the pitch has been a rollercoaster. He had started the season in dominant form leading the Orange Cap race but has struggled for form of late and a pair of ducks against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians marked his first such streak since 2022.
But despite these individual setbacks, RCB have shown incredible resilience. The defending champions have moved to the top of the IPL 2026 points table with 14 points after a last-ball thriller against the Mumbai Indians in Raipur on May 10 and are clear favourites to make the playoffs as the league stage enters its final leg.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
