Virat Kohli‘s superstardom has long transcended the boundaries of the cricket pitch, establishing him as a global icon whose reach rivals the world’s most elite athletes. While he remains a demigod in India, his influence abroad has seen a massive surge, making him one of the most followed and recognizable figures across the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States.
Indian superstar Virat Kohli to join forces with Mr Beast?
This international fame was once again was on a show when on January 5, 2026, when the world’s most-subscribed YouTuber, Mr Beast (Jimmy Donaldson), made a public plea to collaborate with the Indian legend. During an exclusive interview with NDTV ahead of the global launch of Beast Games Season 2, Donaldson looked directly into the camera and said, “Hey Virat Kohli, I’m trying to film with you.”
This isn’t the first time the creator has reached out; he previously tweeted a similar request in early 2025, which went viral but remained unanswered. MrBeast highlighted that India is one of his largest and most passionate audience bases, and a crossover with Kohli, who has over 270 million Instagram followers, would likely break global viewership records. Fans are now eagerly watching to see if the ‘King’ of cricket will finally step into the world of high-stakes YouTube challenges.
MrBeast reacts to Indian fans and expresses his desire to collaborate with King Virat Kohli 🔥
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) January 5, 2026
Mr Beast games Season 2 and the CarryMinati feature
The timing of MrBeast’s appeal coincides with his massive push into the Indian market through his Prime Video series, Beast Games. During the same interview, Donaldson officially confirmed that Indian YouTube icon CarryMinati (Ajey Nagar) will feature in the second season of the show. Set to premiere on January 7, 2026, Beast Games Season 2 will feature 200 contestants, split into 100 of the world’s strongest and 100 of the smartest minds, battling for a historic $5 million prize. By including CarryMinati, MrBeast is leveraging the localized ‘creator economy’ to ensure his show resonates with the millions of fans in the subcontinent. He noted that the new season has moved away from ‘random luck’ eliminations to more skill-based challenges, aiming to make the massive cash prize feel truly earned by the victor.
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Kohli’s domestic dominance and focus on New Zealand ODIs
While the digital world buzzes over a potential collaboration, Kohli’s immediate priority remains firmly on the cricket pitch as he prepares for India’s first international assignment of 2026. After a sensational stint in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi, where he silenced critics by smashing 131 against Andhra Pradesh and a quick-fire 77 against Gujarat, Kohli has opted out of the final domestic match against Railways to join the national squad. He will enter the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11 in Vadodara, in red-hot form, having finished 2025 as India’s highest run-getter with 651 runs. Standing on the cusp of major career milestones, including becoming the quickest to 16,000 List A runs, Kohli appears more focused on extending his record-breaking streak than his YouTube debut.
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