Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has been making headlines for quite a while now. Not only is his game in top form, the cricketer just married the girl of everyone’s dreams in a romantic Tuscan wedding.
So it is no surprise that the skipper isn’t just the most valuable player in world cricket, but he is also India’s most valuable brand with a celebrity value of $143 million. Kohli has dethroned Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who held the title of the country’s most valuable celebrity brand from 2014, according to a report by corporate advisers Duff & Phelps.
“For the first time since 2014, Shah Rukh Khan has slipped from the top ranking and has been replaced by Virat Kohli. Kohli is now the first choice of brands to engage and attract consumers, fuelled by his extraordinary on-field performances and off-field charisma,” said Duff & Phelps MD and regional leader, India, Japan and Southeast Asia Varun Gupta.
Abhishek Ganguly, managing director of Puma India, which Kohli endorses, said, “Virat has transformed the way fitness is looked at in Indian cricket. He has emphasized the role of an athlete and reshaped cricket in the millennial culture. He is a youth icon with effortless style.” Kohli signed an eight-year deal with the brand early this year, making him the first Indian sportsperson to sign a Rs 100-crore endorsement deal with a single brand.
Kohli, along with other millennials including Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, are topping the rankings and companies are eagerly signing endorsement deals with them.
For example, this year Coca-Cola chose to sign Ranveer Singh for Thumbs Up instead of Salman Khan who has been endorsing the brand since 2012. Similarly, Honda roped in upcoming actress Tapsee Pannu as its brand ambassador for scooters for young riders. Juhi Chawla was replaced by Parineeti Chopra in the Kurkure ad, while Lays Chips’ replaced Saif Ali Khan with Ranbir Kapoor.
Another interesting trend is the rise of sports celebrities and their share in the total celebrity brand value over the years. From contributing 19% to the total celebrity brand value in 2014, sports celebrities now contribute 25% to the overall pie. Badminton champion PV Sindhu made an entry this year at 15, becoming the female sportsperson to make it to the top 15.
