In our country, the game of cricket in akin to a religion and its players enjoy an almost God-like appeal. Legends like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni have a fan following which goes in the billions. Even when you consider absolute numbers, these men in blue are worth their weight in gold when you consider how much they do well for the brands they endorse.
Most recently, Indian skipper Virat Kohli surpassed the valuations of both MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar to become the most valuable cricketer in India, valued at approximately ₹600 crore ($92 million).
As soon as he became the captain in all three cricketing formats, his value shot up by a striking 25%.
Furthermore, Kohli’s rising valuation will soon catch up with that of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who’s currently valued at ₹800 crore ($131 million).
Watch out, SRK!
Aviral Jain, the director of a global valuation firm, had this to say about Kohli’s value as a brand.
“Given the consistent and unbeatable record of Virat Kohli, companies that want to position themselves as a market winner will definitely look to sign him on as a brand ambassador.”
Basically, as Kohli continues to hit century after century and bring in consistent victories for India, his valuation will only grow.
Kudos, Virat Kohli. Keep winning!
News Source: India Today