This is India’s most searched person in 2024, it’s not Virat Kohli, Mukesh Ambani, Dhoni, SRK
Even Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, business tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and others were absent from the list.
In a surprising turn of events, star sportspersons Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni did not cut the list of the top 10 most searched personalities in 2024. Even Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, business tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and others were absent from the list. Instead, Vinesh Phogat topped the list becoming India’s most searched personality this year, followed by other four sportspersons including Hardik Pandya, Shashank Singh, Abhishek Sharma and Lakshya Sen.
Vinesh had a year marked by incredible highs and lows although she made history in Paris by becoming the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic 2024 final. Her dream of winning India’s first female Olympic gold medal was crushed when she was disqualified for failing a weigh-in, just hours before the final match. Following this, she announced her retirement from wrestling and filed a case with the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) to be awarded a silver medal. Though her appeal was rejected, her wrestling legacy shone through. She entered politics and contested the 2024 Haryana Assembly Election from the Congress Party. She began her new chapter in life by being elected a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Julana.
Indian cricket’s star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, was the fourth most searched personality in India in 2024. The year was a mixed bag for Pandya as he faced intense public scrutiny after taking over as captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), replacing Rohit Sharma. He played a pivotal role in India’s victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Off the field, he made headlines for his divorce from wife Natasa Stankovic.
Shashank Singh, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) cricketer, ranked sixth on the list. He sparked controversy earlier in the year due to a mistaken identity incident at the IPL auction. He was retained by Punjab Kings for Rs. 5.5 crore ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction. Abhishek Sharma, the 24-year-old Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) cricketer, secured the ninth spot, after his breakthrough performance in SRH’s 2024 IPL final appearance, scoring 484 runs in 16 matches at an impressive strike rate of 204.21. Lakshya Sen, the Indian badminton star, ranked tenth on the list. He inched closer to winning a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics but ultimately lost in the semi-final and bronze medal clash. Other notable personalities featured in the list include Nitish Kumar (2), Chirag Paswan (3), Pawan Kalyan (4), Poonam Pandey (7), and Radhika Merchant (8).
