In this article, we will take a look at 10 unknown Indian athletes to follow on Instagram in 2025.
Instagram has transformed into a vibrant platform where athletes can engage with millions of fans and followers. Sharing with us their experiences, their joys and their achievements on Instagram, these are some athletes who we may not know properly, but definitely deserve to.
In this article, we will take a look at 10 unknown Indian athletes to follow on Instagram in 2025.
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Unknown Indian Athletes to Follow on Instagram in 2025
10. Pooja Bishnoi (Runner)
Pooja Bishnoi, a 13-year-old prodigy set a new meet record in the 3,000m race at the 2024 U-19 IPSC Athletics Tournament. She’s already won gold medals in the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m, showing the world that she’s not just a fast runner, she’s a future Olympic star.
Her hard work and strong will caught the eye of the Virat Kohli Foundation, which now supports her training, food, and travel.
Pooja is also becoming popular on social media, inspiring young athletes across the country.
9. Simran Verma (Boxing)
Simran Verma is a prolific boxer and athlete who competes in the 52 kg category. Simran has won a Bronze at the Sub-Junior National and Silver in the U-17 School Nationals. After being selected to join IIS, Simran took her game to the next level and won her first international Silver Medal at the Junior Nations’ Cup in Serbia in August 2019.
Simran continued to train and fight hard and she went on the become the National Champion in 2021. She also bagged the bronze medal in the 2021 Khelo India Youth Games. She aims to be a part of the Indian Olympic team.
8. Akash Shinde (Kabaddi)
In the heart of Nashik's Adgaon village, a young boy named Akash Shinde dared to dream big. Little did he know that his journey from playing in the muddy grounds of his town to becoming a PKL winner would inspire a generation of aspiring athletes.
In the PKL Season 9, Akash truly announced his arrival, becoming a formidable force on the mat. In the 22 matches that Akash played on the way to his first PKL final, he scored 139 raid points, averaging 6.32 raid point per match.
7. Aishwarya Mishra (Track and Field)
Aishwarya Mishra, one of India's top quarter-milers, has left behind the controversy of 2022 and re-established herself with strong performances at the Asian level and the National Games. The Maharashtra athlete, who was once under scrutiny for missing a dope test, has proved her abilities on the track with multiple medals and record-breaking performances.
In 2022, Mishra won gold in the women's 400m event at the Federation Cup in Kozhikode with a time of 51.18 seconds, making her the third-fastest Indian quarter-miler.
6. Murali Sreeshankar (Long Jump)
Murali Sreeshankar is an Indian athlete who competes in the long jump event. He created a national record of 8.36 metres set in 2022. He also grabbed silver medal in Asian Games 2023.
The 26 year old set to make a comeback from what many would have perceived a ‘career-ending’ injury. Murali has been out of competitions since before the Paris Olympics.
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5. Niharika Vashisht (Triple Jump)
Niharika Vashisht is a national gold medalist in the triple jump. Vashisht grabbed eyeballs of everyone by beating local favourite Sandra Babu in the women’s triple jump at the National Federation Senior Athletics Championship.
A social media influencer, Niharika has quite a following on the internet. She is making prudent use of the revenue she earns from social media account by funding her own training expenses.
4. Pyari Xaxa (Football)
Having made her senior team debut in 2015, just after turning 18, the girl from Kuarmunda – a small town in Odisha – was one of the most promising youngsters when the Indian women clinched gold in the South Asian Games in 2016.
Pyari recently voted best Women's Indian Player of the Year.
3. Avani Lekhara (Para-shooting)
Para-shooter Avani Lekhara is the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in the Para Olympic history. She is also the second Indian after javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia to win two gold medals at the Games.
Avani's journey did not stop at the Paralympics. She continued to shine in various international competitions, including the World Cups and Asian Para Games, where she consistently won medals and set new benchmarks.
2. Ayhika Mukherjee (Table Tennis)
An Arjuna Awardee, Ayhika Mukherjee from West Bengal has been representing India at the global stages since multiple years, having won many medals. She most recently won a historical Bronze Medal along with Sutirtha Mukherjee at the 2022 Asian Games, beating the Chinese World Champion duo in the Quarter Finals.
Having already won multiple international medals, Ayhika’s career is on an upward graph as she continues to rise the ranks and improve her play.
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1. Sheetal Devi (Para-Archery)
Teenaged Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, clinching the bronze medal in the mixed compound archery team event alongside Rakesh Kumar. At just 17 years old, she became India’s youngest Paralympic medallist and only the second armless archer in history to win a Paralympic medal.
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