Kartik Sharma, a social media creator known for his striking resemblance to Virat Kohli, has sparked debate online after pranking shoppers at a mall by pretending to be the cricket star. An Instagram video of the stunt shows hundreds of people rushing to take selfies with him, believing they had encountered the real Kohli.

Kartik Sharma is known for his resemblance to Virat Kohli. (Instagram/@kartikkohlee18)

It was unsurprising to see the reactions from visitors to the mall, given that Kartik Sharma took great pains to look like Virat Kohli by copying the cricketer’s hairstyle, tattoos and even wearing a Royal Challengers Bangalore jersey.

The Virat Kohli lookalike set out to prank the public by driving into the mall premises in a BMW and entering with four bodyguards. Immediately, he was surrounded by a crowd as people mistook him for the real deal.

Sharma did not just fool unsuspecting people, he even managed to fool the mall security. His video shows security guards leaving their posts to walk next to him and keep fans at bay. In no time at all, he had dozens of people walking behind him as his hired bodyguards and mall security kept him protected from the rush.

In the clip, Sharma was heard saying that mall security guards left their posts to run after him. His video also showed people running to catch a glimpse of him. The multi-level mall soon had people standing on the balconies to look at ‘Kohli’.

“Prank in Largest mall of India,” Kartik Sharma captioned his Instagram video.

Others pointed out that he had created a potentially dangerous situation in a public place which could have led to stampedes.

“This isn't just a prank; it's a massive safety hazard. Forcing mall security away from their actual jobs puts everyone in danger if a real emergency happens. Not cool,” wrote one person in the comments section.

“Bhai you played with their emotions,” said another.

“Why are you playing with their emotions? Har ek ka sapna hota hai ki Virat ke sath selfie lien,” a viewer asked Sharma.

(Also read: Virat Kohli’s doppelganger visits his restaurant, people mistake him for the cricketer: ‘Pura restaurant confuse tha’)