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    PSL 2021: Shoaib Akhtar slams PCB After PSL Postponed

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    Shoaib Akhtar
    Shoaib Akhtar

    Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar expressed his displeasure over PSL 2021 postponement due to a surge in COVID19 cases. PSL 2021 has been staged on February 20, 2021, with the opening match between the defending champions Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators.

    Shoaib Akhtar opens on PSL 2021 Postponement

    In his latest video, he has lambasted PCB chairman Ehsan Mani and the medical panel, and requested PM Imran Khan to take matters in his own hands.

    “The medical panel should be punished and I request the higher authorities because they played with the lives of the people… All the blame has been put on Wasim Khan and he has been asked to face everything. Who has brought Wasim Khan? Ehsan Mani (brought him). Where is Mani Sahab? Is this the responsibility of Wasim Khan to answer here? Ehsan Mani should give the answer,” Akhtar said in a video shared by the former cricketer on his YouTube channel.

    “You (PCB) played with the lives of the people and at the same time you played with the reputation of the country. Where is the Chairman of PCB, where is Mani? Come to the front and answer. You have damaged Pakistan’s reputation by ruining PSL. I am asking the higher authorities and the Prime Minister, sir look into this matter. This is an insult to Pakistan and Pakistan cricket,” Akhtar added.

    PSL 2021 Rescheduled Dates

    “The remaining matches of the 2021 PSL might end up being played as soon as May this year”, a report claims.

    PSL 2020 was suspended in March, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the remaining matches, which were knockouts, were rescheduled to November last year where Karachi Kings crowned the title.

    The PCB CEO expressed confidence they would find time to complete the league, saying they were already looking at various options. “We will be looking at other windows and we hope to play the event at a later time,” Wasim Khan said.

    “What’s taking place right now is that we are carefully and slowly exiting, exiting players from our environment so that we can safely get them out and they can start to travel to wherever they need to travel in terms of moving forward. But we want to continue and finish the PSL.”

    Also read: Dale Steyn Claims PSL as “More Rewarding” than IPL for THIS Reason

    India vs England: Virat Kohli gets into a Heated Argument with Ben Stokes

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    Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes gets into banter in the first day of the 4th Test match
    Virat Kohli and Ben stokes banter in 4th Test match of India vs England

    Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes gets into banter in the first day of the 4th test match of India vs England.

    Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes gets into Banter

    After Mohammed Siraj bowled a bouncer to Stokes to finish the 13th over, Stokes mouthed a few words at the India quick. Although Siraj did not say much in return, Kohli decided to take matters into his hands and got up to Stokes’ face when he and Jonny Bairstow were talking in between overs.

    The discussion went on between Stokes and Kohli, but just when it looked like matters may escalate, umpires Nitin Menon and Virender Sharma intervened and separated the two.

    Siraj, playing in place of Jasprit Bumrah, then got the big wicket of Joe Root to put England to the sword.

    Graeme Swann’s view on the banter

    Graeme Swann called Virat Kohli ‘childish’ after the India captain clashed with England all-rounder Ben Stokes on the first day of the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad.

    One of the umpires had to intervene after the duo shared words in the middle, with England struggling on 37-3 after winning the toss.

    “A little conflab in the middle between Ben Stokes and Virat Kohli, not sure what it’s about, it seems very friendly,” former England spinner Graeme Swann said on Channel 4 before the duo got up close and personal.

    “Maybe it’s not quite so friendly. The umpire’s stepping in. I want a clean fight lads, nothing below the belt, when the bell goes you go back to your corners. It’s not really up to the fielders to butt into the batsmen’s conversations when they’re out in the middle. Just let them get on with it, and you get on with your own game. It all seemed a bit childish to me,” said Graeme Swann.

    Sunil Gavaskar’s view on the banter

    India legend Sunil Gavaskar, meanwhile, felt Virat Kohli was attempting to disrupt Ben Stokes’ focus as he engaged with the England all-rounder.

    “That works in the fielding side’s favour because the batsman’s concentration is gone,” Gavaskar said.

    “At this particular point in time, nothing will happen to Virat Kohli for the simple reason he’s fielding. But as a batsman, if you’ve lost concentration, it sort of lingers in your mind as you’re facing up to the next ball and you’re not fully concentrating, not fully focused on the ball.”

    West Indies Skipper Kieron Pollard Smashes 6 Sixes in an Over

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    Kieron Pollard
    Kieron Pollard(Image: CWI)

    West Indies cricketer Kieron Pollard has hit 6 sixes in an over and joined the likes of South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs and Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh to achieve this feat.

    Kieron Pollard Smashes 6 Sixes in an over

    The West Indies captain joined South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs (March 2007, ICC Men’s ODI World Cup against the Netherlands) and India’s Yuvraj Singh (September 2007, ICC Men’s World T20 against England) as the only men to have achieved the feat in international cricket when he teed off against Sri Lanka in the first T20I on Thursday.

    West Indies vs Sri Lanka

    Pollard who is the captain of the West Indies side won the toss and opt to bowl first. Sri Lanka did not put up a convincing total for the hosts as they ended up with just 131 runs on the scorecard.

    Chasing the total, West Indies completed the run chase in just the 14th over. Lanka bowler Akila Dananjaya took a hat-trick in this very match by dismissing Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, and Nicholas Pooran. But Pollard then smacked the same bowler to huge sixes at the end of power play.

    Pollard’s view on achieving this feat

    “I felt I could hit six sixes after the third one,” said 33-year-old Pollard according to AFP.

    “Once I had five sixes I knew I had the bowler on the back foot. He was going around the wicket and it was difficult for him. I just told myself: ‘Go for it’.”

    Here’s the full list of batsmen who have hit six sixes in one over of top level cricket.

    Also read: West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2021: Windies Announced the Squad, Schedule

    Mitchell Santner Ruled Out Of 3rd T20I Against Australia

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    Mitchell Santner
    Mitchell Santner(Image: New Zealand Cricket)

    Mitchell Santner who was ruled out of the 3rd T20I against Australia only hours before the game has been self-isolated after COVID19 test results.

    The 29-year-old spinner woke up with a common cold on Wednesday (March 3) morning and was immediately sent for a COVID-19 test after which the cricketer is self-isolating and awaiting the test results.

    Mitchell Santner Ruled out of 3rd T20I vs Australia 

    New Zealand have called in fast bowler Adam Milne, who was roped in by the Mumbai Indians franchise in the 2021 IPL auction held last month.

    “Mitch Santner has been ruled out of tonight’s match after waking up this morning with a head-cold. He is self-isolating as a precautionary measure while awaiting the results of a COVID test,” New Zealand said in a statement.

    “Wellington based Adam Milne will join the team for today’s match at Sky Stadium as squad cover,” it added.

    New Zealand are currently leading the five-match series 2-0 after outclassing Aussies in the first two games. On Monday, NZC had announced that the final T20I between New Zealand and Australia will be shifted to Wellington from Bay Oval.

    Australia are set to make a few changes in the upcoming third T20I of the five-match series, assistant coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on Tuesday. Wellington’s Sky Stadium will be hosting the final three T20Is between Australia and New Zealand and the visitors are likely to include Ashton Turner or D’Arcy Short in their starting XI.

    All-rounder Ashton Agar may be left out of the team as he has conceded 50 runs from five overs bowled in the first two T20Is against New Zealand.

    “We haven’t got those middle overs right. That may be a reason for us to reinforce that area or make some changes that potentially strengthen that area with both bat and ball. They’ve played spin well at this stage. Agar has played two games in the last three and a half months as well so he’s going to be better every game that he plays,” cricket.com.au had quoted McDonald as saying.

    “Zampa at this stage hasn’t gotten into the games but his quality over the last two years suggests that the next game he probably will have an impact. It is an area that we do need to improve in if we’re going to compete and beat this Kiwi side,” he had added.

    Ajinkya Rahane Response to Dale Steyn Over the IPL vs PSL Controversy

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    Ajinkya Rahane
    Ajinkya Rahane

    After South African speed merchant Dale Steyn weighed in on the IPL versus PSL debate, Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has issued a stern response in the favour of domestic cricket’s biggest extravaganza on Tuesday.

    Ajinkya Rahane response to Dale Steyn

    Ahead of the fourth Test between India and England in Ahmedabad, Ajinkya Rahane was asked his views on Dale Steyn’s comments that the Pakistan Super League was more rewarding as a player than the Indian Premier League.

    “I wanted some time off. I found that playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. I think when you go to IPL, there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money players earn and everything like that, so sometimes, somewhere down the line, cricket gets forgotten,” Steyn told Cricket Pakistan.

    “When you come to like a PSL or the Sri Lankan Premier League, for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here for a couple of days and I have had people in and out of my room, just wanting to know about where I have played and how I went about it.

    “Whereas, when I go to something like the IPL that gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL? That’s just me being brutally honest. I wanted to stay away from that and really put more emphasis on playing and bringing good vibes to good cricket teams and tournaments I feel are worth it,” Steyn added.

    Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was asked about his views on Steyn’s comments during a virtual press conference ahead of India’s fourth Test against England. While Rahane said he didn’t know about what Steyn had said, he opined that IPL has given a big platform to cricketers over the years.

    “See, I am here to talk about the fourth Test match and not here to talk about PSL or Sri Lanka Premier League. IPL gave us that platform to express ourselves and also to a lot of Indians players. I am not sure what Dale Steyn has said, I am here to talk about this Test match,” said Rahane during a virtual press conference.

    Also read: Indian Premier League(IPL) 2021: Full schedule, Squad Details (Updated)

    VVS Laxman Names Suryakumar Yadav as an Exceptional T20 Batsman

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    Suryakumar Yadav
    Suryakumar Yadav

    Indian former cricketer VVS Laxman express his excitement to see Suryakumar Yadav to play his maiden T20I. BCCI announces the squad for the T20I series against England with a lot of surprises where Youngsters Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tewatia, and Suryaumar Yadav were included.

    VVS Laxman praises Suryakumar Yadav

    During a discussion on the Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Laxman was asked about Suryakumar Yadav’s inclusion in the Indian team and how big an opportunity it is for him.

    The Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor pointed out that the 30-year-old is an outstanding T20 batsman and is proficient against both pace and spin.

    “He is so elegant, he is technically sound, great shots against the spin bowlers and the fast bowlers, I think he is an exceptional T20 batsman,” said Laxman.

    “Coming into the Indian squad is a dream come true for anyone because they work hard, there is so much of competition and once maybe the toughest dream in their life has been realised, nothing more pleasing and satisfying than that. What he has done is the right way to break open the door.”

    Yadav had a quiet Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but was in phenomenal form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, notching up scores of 50 against Delhi, 133 against Puducherry and 91 vs Himachal Pradesh recently. Laxman feels Yadav deserves selection given the hard work he’s put together while highlighting the big role he plays for MI.

    “He has gone back to first-class cricket, scored tons of runs for Mumbai. When he is playing in the IPL, he is the main batsman along with some of the stalwarts in the Mumbai Indians team and wins matches, not only scores runs but handsomely wins matches for them,” added Laxman.

    Also read: Suryakumar Yadav Opens on His Selection for Indian T20I Squad

    Jasprit Bumrah Relieved from National Duties to Prepare for his Marriage

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    jasprit bumrah
    jasprit bumrah

    Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has relieved from the Indian squad as the cricketer says he needs time to prepare for his marriage. Bumrah was relieved from the Indian squad for the fourth Test and is set to miss the limited-overs series against England too.

    The ODI series will be played in a biosecure environment in Pune, starting March 23.

    Jasprit Bumrah left Squad to Prepare for his Marriage

    A source close to the Indian board in the know of developments has confirmed that the pacer is set to get married soon and has taken a leave to prepare for the same. However, the name of the girl to whom the right-arm seamer is tying the knot is unknown.

    “Speaking to ANI, sources in the BCCI in the know of developments have confirmed that the pacer is set to get married soon and has taken a leave to prepare for the same,” ANI reported.

    “He informed the BCCI that he is getting married and has taken the leave to help in preparations for the big day,” the source was quoted as saying.

    The 27-year-old has bowled 277.1 overs in competitive cricket over the last five months. Bumrah bags 4 wickets under his name in the recently concluded 1st test match between India and England.

    Bumrah has been rested for the second match while he returned for the 3rd Test match and went wicketless. India is leading the Test series by 2-1 and needs just one victory or draw to enter the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship.

    Bumrah’s unavailability from the entire white-ball leg against England gives India an opportunity to try out new players. It is expected that fans can see his action in the upcoming Indian Premier League(IPL) 2021 where he plays for Mumbai Indians.

    The IPL 2021 is rumoured to begin from April 11, 2021 and set to host by BCCI in India.

    VVS Laxman Predicts the Strategy for the Successful Spells from Ashwin

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    Ashwin
    Ashwin

    Indian former cricketer VVS Laxman claims that R Ashwin works on the batsmen’s weakness to dismiss him on the field. This is what has made one of the best bowlers and so difficult to play, said former India batsman VVS Laxman.

    VVS Laxman Praises R Ashwin 

    “I think he’s a very intelligent person. When you’re playing at the highest level, then it’s not only about your skill, it’s about your preparation, your planning and execution is so critical,” Laxman said on Star Sports.

    “He works out what are the weaknesses of the batsman. He plans those dismissals and that’s why I think he is reinventing himself. We saw recently in the Australia series how he troubled, someone as great as Steve Smith and that’s another thing that makes Ashwin or any champion player special, that he wants to be the best and compete against the best,” he further said.

    During the third Test in the ongoing series against England, Ashwin reached the milestone of 400 wickets in the longest format. In the match which ended at the Motera Stadium on Thursday, the off-spinner took 7 wickets in the match to take his overall tally to 401.

    Ashwin reached the 400 wickets club in the 3rd Test match of India vs England Test series
    Ashwin reached the 400 wickets club in the 3rd Test match of India vs England Test series

    “78 Test matches for 400 Test wickets. Let the naysayers be, he’s been absolutely phenomenal with the craft that he has displayed over a period of time and as he’s growing as a bowler he’s picking a lot of wickets,” said former batsman Akash Chopra.

    “I feel that he’s an absolute rockstar. He’s one of the biggest match-winners India has ever produced, of course, Anil Kumble will still remain at no. 1,” he further said.

    Ashwin, 34, who also became the second-fastest bowler to reach the 400 Test wicket-mark after Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan, said that he watched a lot of old videos of great individual performances in the lock-down helped improve his understanding of the game.

    Also read: Gambhir, Ashwin Throws View on the Creepy Tweet from Yuvraj Singh

    England Spin Coach Jeetan Patel Reveals the Reason for the Failure in 3rd Test vs India

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    Jeetan Patel
    Jeetan Patel

    England spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel admitted that the team’s decision to pick three seamers on turning track is the major reason for England’s failure in the 3rd Test vs India at Narendra Modi Stadium.

    England and India lock horns to play the 3rd test match at Narendra Modi Stadium on February 24. Moreover, this is the first International match that was hosted by the newly opened iconic Narendra Modi Stadium.

    The 3rd Test match ends in a pathetic way where India beats England within the 2 days. Both the team fails to cross the 150 run mark in their respective innings.

    Jeetan Patel reveals the reason for the failure in 3rd Test vs India

    In a virtual press conference on Monday, Patel said: “Look, it is India, it is Asia. We expect to get spinning surfaces, maybe we did not expect to take a spin as early as it did and hence the line-up we picked.

    It was a tough pitch to play on and we got on the wrong side of it. In the first innings when we won the toss, 112 was not going to be enough on any surface — spinning, flat, or seaming.

    We were excited when we bowled India out for 140-odd. But again it did not click in the second innings. If we had scored 200 or 230 in the first innings, the game could have been different.”

    “The Pink ball reacted differently and it did not go the way we thought it would go. We had a plan but it did not quite work. The pink ball had so many unknowns really and how it will react in terms of the wicket we did not know. You are never sure how things are going to play in Asia,” he added.

    Many former England players including Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, and Michael Vaughan criticized the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

    Also read: Shoaib Akhtar Breaks Silence on Ahmedabad Pitch Conditions

    Dale Steyn Claims PSL as “More Rewarding” than IPL for THIS Reason

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    Dale Steyn
    Dale Steyn

    South African pacer Dale Steyn has said he finds the Pakistan Super League(PSL) “more rewarding” than the Indian Premier League(IPL). Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, the fast bowler said that “cricket gets forgotten” at times in the IPL.

    In January this year, Steyn had made himself unavailable for IPL 2021 but ruled out an imminent retirement from competitive cricket. The 37-year-old had played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the last edition of the IPL, where he got to play three matches and bagged one wicket.

    Dale Steyn Reveals the reason for skipping IPL 2021

    Speaking about his experience of IPL, Dale Steyn said that cricket gets forgotten sometimes amid money talks.

    It was one of the reasons why he pulled out of IPL 2021 earlier this year. Dale Steyn had a dismal campaign in IPL 2020 where he had struggled to get into Royal Challengers Bangalore’s playing XI. Overall, he played three games and managed to take just one wicket.

    Steyn
    Steyn

    “I wanted some time off and i found that playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. I think when you go to IPL, there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money players earn and everything like that, so sometimes, somewhere down the line, cricket gets forgotten,” Dale Steyn told Cricket Pakistan.

    Steyn look forward to play PSL 

    Steyn is currently playing the sixth season of the Pakistan Super League for the Quetta Gladiators. Having last played international cricket in February of last year, Steyn is on the final leg of his career and the fast bowler wants to squeeze out every last drop of the sponge in the best way possible.

    “When you come to like a PSL or the Sri Lankan Premier League, for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here for a couple of days and I have had people in and out of my room, just wanting to know about where I have played and how I went about it. Whereas, when I go to something like the IPL that gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL?

    “That’s just me being brutally honest. I wanted to stay away from that and really put more emphasis on playing and bringing good vibes to good cricket teams and tournaments I feel are worth it,” he added.

    Overall, Dale Steyn played 95 games in IPL and represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Gujarat Lions. He picked up 97 wickets in his IPL career and maintained an impressive economy rate of 6.91.

    Shoaib Akhtar Breaks Silence on Ahmedabad Pitch Conditions

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    Shoaib Akhtar
    Shoaib Akhtar

    Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has joined the list of former cricketers who believe the pitch(Ahmedabad) used in the third Test between India and England was not an ideal advert for Test cricket.

    Akhtar stated that a Test match that gets over within 2 days and a pitch that offers an unreasonable turn is not good for the health of the longest format of the game.

    Shoaib Akhtar on Ahmedabad Pitch

    Akhtar also added that India have used the concept of home advantage ‘too much’ and stated that if the Virat Kohli led Indian side had scored 400 and then bowled England out for 200, then it was right to say that England batted poorly. But then, Akhtar said that even the Indian side was bowled out for just 145.

    “Should Test matches be played on such wickets? Not at all. A pitch where there is so much unreasonable turn, that a match gets finished in two days, is not good for Test cricket,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.

    new Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium known as Motera Stadium

    “I understand the concept of home advantage but this sort of advantage I believe is a little too much. If India had scored 400 runs and England got out for 200, then one could say that England played poorly. But here, even India was shot out for 145.

    “I thought India is a bigger, better team than this. There should be fair play and fair pitches where I think India can still beat England. They don’t need to be scared. There is no need for India to prepare such wickets. Did we make the wicket in favour of India in Adelaide? Was the wicket in Melbourne made in favour of India? How did they win the series there? You play on fair ground, fair conditions and say ‘Look, we can play well at home and abroad’,” Akhtar added.

    “So I think India must look at this thing. They are a much better team than this. You are a much better, far better side than this playing on these kinds of pitches. I guarantee it. Take home advantage, on Day 3, 4, it’s understandable. But unfortunately, over here, if Joe Root is getting wickets.

    “I am expecting a fair pitch for the fourth Test. India should go out there and make sure they prepare one of the best pitches for the next Test match and I am sure that you have the capacity on any pitch. You don’t need to take home advantage. Just go out there and play and I’m sure they will win the series. If India can beat Australia on their soil, they can easily win at home,” Akhtar concluded.

    India is leading the 4-match series 2-1 after their 10 wickets win in the Ahmedabad Test. The fourth Test will be played at the same venue from March 4.

    Virat Kohli Becomes 1st Indian Celebrity to Reach 100M Followers on Instagram

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    Virat Kohli 100m Instagram

    Indian skipper Virat Kohli has achieved the milestone of becoming the first Indian celebrity to have 100 million followers on Instagram.

    Virat Kohli Instagram Reaches the feat of 100M Followers

    The 32-year-old Kohli is also the first person in the Asia-Pacific region to achieve the feat. As the Indian batsmen hit the new milestone, ICC greeted Kohli with a special post.

    For over two years now, Kohli has been the most followed person on Instagram in India. Kohli is also the fourth most followed sportsperson on Instagram.

    Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo tops the chart with 265 million followers, ahead of Argentina football captain and FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Neymar, who are second and third in the list with 186 million and 147 million followers respectively.

    Kohli has gone past Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, and Deepika Padukone to take the top spot. Speaking of cricketers, Virat Kohli has more than three times the followers of second-placed MS Dhoni (30.4 million).

    Virat Kohli Instagram reaches 100m followers
    Virat Kohli reaches100m followers on Instagram

    Apart from Instagram, Kohli also has a massive fan-following on other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. As of now, he has 40.8 million followers on Twitter, while has over 36 million likes on Facebook.

    How much Virat Kohli Earn from Instagram?

    Virat Kohli, who, as of July 1, has 66.2 million followers on Instagram, makes $296,000 (₹2.2 crores approximately) per post.

    Kohli earns about £246,064 (Rs 2,33,33,894) for every sponsored post while having a massive 80 million followers on Instagram.

    When Virat has 94.6 million followers on Instagram he is paid around Rs 1.35 crore fees for sharing sponsored posts.

    How much does Instagram pay per post?

    Just how much money you can make on Instagram depends on the influencer, their level of commitment, and the uniqueness of their Instagram content and audience.

    While some brands pay anything from $5 to $10 per thousand followers, others offer $100 for every 100 followers you have. According to USA Today, an influencer with 10,000 to 50,000 active fans can make a few thousand per post. Instagram influencers with up to 1 million followers can see $10,000 per post. Have over 1 million followers? You could charge $100,000 or more.

     

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