Virat Kohli liking a photo of German model Liz Laz was enough to send the internet into one of its familiar laughing fits. A fashion shoot posted months ago suddenly found a second life on April 17 after photographer Advait Vaidya shared that Anushka Sharma’s husband had liked the post, turning a quiet Instagram moment into a headline-grabber. The reaction was instant because fans did not treat it like an ordinary social media click.
They tied it straight back to the Avneet Kaur episode from last year, revived the “algorithm” jokes, and dragged the whole thing into meme territory before breakfast. The funny part is that Laz was not exactly a household name in India yesterday, but one viral like later, people were asking who she is, where she is from, and why the internet had adopted her into its daily drama.
Virat Kohli’s like sparks memes, jokes, and another round of “algorithm” chatter*
The image in question was a collaborative Instagram post shared by Vaidya and Laz back in January. On Thursday, Vaidya noticed that Kohli had liked the photo and posted a screenshot of the notification on his Instagram Stories.
He also followed it up with a video and the caption, “How does one react to this.. When the Goat, @virat.kohli .. Likes your Post.. me and @lizlaz_tv are still rubbing our eyes to check if it’s actually happening.. haha.. Thank you Goat.” That was all it took. Screenshots spread, meme pages got to work, and social media users started having a field day with it.
What gave this tiny interaction its comic aftertaste was the memory of Kohli’s 2025 clarification after the Avneet Kaur episode. Back then, Kohli had said (via HT):
“I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made. Thank you for your understanding.”
And the internet has clearly never let that line go. So when this new like surfaced, users wasted no time pulling the old joke out of the cupboard. One person quipped that Anushka Sharma should make Kohli issue another apology, another joked that he needs an alternate account, and others dragged Akaay into the banter with tongue planted firmly in cheek. In other words, the “algorithm strikes again” gag practically arrived gift-wrapped.
Who is Liz Laz, the German model suddenly trending in India?
Liz Laz describes herself on Instagram as a “Vlogger, Foodie & Singer” and says she is based in Germany. Her bio also notes that she is South African and German and holds an M.Sc. in Psychology. As of the current reports and Instagram profile snapshots, she has close to half a million followers, and several outlets noted that she frequently collaborates with Indian photographers and creators, which helps explain why Vaidya’s post did not look out of place on her page in the first place.
That is what makes this whole episode a little funny and a little telling. Laz was already active online, already building her own lane, and already working with names from the Indian fashion and content world. But one like from Kohli did what months of ordinary visibility often cannot do. It pushed her into mainstream chatter in India overnight.
Reports today describe her as a Germany-based influencer, model, singer, and vlogger who suddenly became the subject of curiosity simply because her photo was the one the internet chose to obsess over for a few hours. That says as much about celebrity culture as it does about Laz herself.
India isn’t unfamiliar territory for Liz Laz. A scroll through her Instagram shows that the German model has explored multiple parts of the country, immersing herself in its culture. From attending traditional Haryanvi weddings to embracing regional fashion, she has often shared glimpses of these experiences with her followers.
In one of her posts from Bengaluru, she was seen wearing a South Indian saree, capturing the elegance of the look, and captioned it, “One day I’ll drape it myself.” Her content reflects a genuine curiosity and growing comfort with Indian traditions, going beyond typical travel visuals to create a more authentic cultural connection.
Story first published: Friday, April 17, 2026, 22:39 [IST]