IShowSpeed, one of the biggest names on YouTube and social media, has once again mixed sport and stardom in a viral clip that has cricket fans talking. The online personality—whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr.—is known to show up at major sporting spectacles, with WrestleMania among his most recent public appearances.
Quick facts
- IShowSpeed’s real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr.
- He has 47.2 million Instagram followers.
- He has 53.1 million YouTube subscribers.
- He was seen in India during the 2023 World Cup wearing an Indian jersey.
- In a viral video, he trolls Babar Azam while praising Virat Kohli.
- The clip also shows IShowSpeed playing cricket in Trinidad and Tobago.
An avid cricket supporter, he made headlines when he traveled to India for the 2023 World Cup and appeared in an Indian jersey. Now, in the new viral footage, he’s caught reacting to shots during a casual game with friends, delivering a playful jab at Pakistan batter Babar Azam before shifting to praise for Virat Kohli.
In the match scene, one of his partners plays a disappointing shot and IShowSpeed fires back with the line, “That’s Babar Azam stuff.” Moments later, when the same partner produces a strong shot, he changes tone—calling out, “Shoutout to my homie Virat Kohli, baby.” The entire exchange is captured as they play cricket in Trinidad and Tobago.
Viral cricket chatter: Kohli vs Babar, then Kohli vs Root
While the IShowSpeed clip circulated, another cricket conversation flared up online—this time involving former England captain Michael Vaughan and the subject of India’s batting icon Virat Kohli, along with the debate around who is more entertaining to watch.
Kohli had been at his best for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 on Friday, smashing 81 off 44 balls in the team’s match against Gujarat Titans (GT). The knock drew attention from veteran England batter Sam Billings, who shared admiration on social media and questioned whether there is anything better than watching Kohli bat in full flow.
Billings, who at the time was playing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Rawalpindi, posted the question: “Is there anything better than watching Virat Kohli in full flow?” Vaughan responded quickly with a direct answer—“Yes… Joe Root”—and added a cheeky laughing emoji.
The exchange has since fed into broader comparisons between two of the sport’s modern greats. Kohli is described as the second-highest run-scorer in cricket history across all formats, while Root is portrayed as closing in on Sachin Tendulkar for the top spot in Test cricket run-scoring.
Vaughan’s reply triggered a major wave of online discussion, with fans weighing in and even trolling the former captain for implying that Root is more enjoyable to watch than Kohli. The result: another round of fast-moving debate, fueled by big names, recent IPL impact, and the kind of batting artistry that keeps pushing cricket fans into argument mode.
