Virat Kohli’s popularity hasn’t taken a dip even though Indian cricket has been on hiatus since March due to COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a SEMrush study, Kohli is the most popular cricketer in the world, having been searched online an average of 16.2 lakh per month from January to June this year.

The study also gives Team India the tag of most popular cricket side in the world, with an average search of 2.4 lakh times per month in the same time frame.

Other cricketers among the top-10, as per the study, were Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, George Mackay, Josh Richards, Hardik Pandya, Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Matthews and Shreyas Iyer. From January to June 2020, each cricketer, respectively, was searched an average of 9.7, 9.4, 9.1, 7.1, 6.7, 5.4, 4.1, and 3.4 lakh times.

As far as the cricket teams are concerned – England is behind India followed by Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe. Each cricket team, respectively, was searched .66, .33, .29, .23, .16, .12, .12, .09, .05, .04, and .03 lakh times per month.

Moreover, cricket followers across the globe were keen on knowing about women cricketers as well. Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry were searched 12th and 20th most times.

"While we are not entirely surprised by the results of our study, we are excited nonetheless. Finding that Virat Kohli is the most searched cricketer, and India, the most searched cricket team is unsurprising, what's surprising is that women cricketers are being searched more often than a lot of top-rated men," Fernando Angulo, Head of Communications, SEMrush said.

"Our study suggests that stereotypes of cricket as a man only sport no longer hold. There is considerable enthusiasm about women cricketers and women playing cricket. In the future, there are likely to be many more women playing cricket, and India, as the most important cricket playing nation is likely to supply many of them," he added.

(With IANS inputs)