Cricket has been the most-watched and played sport in India since the beginning of time. A sport that is this enormous and played on this large scale depends on several sponsorships. The Indian Cricket team has produced some great players, which has made brands even more interested in investing in these cricketers. Here is a view of the top cricketers and the brands which sponsor them :
1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
The Two-time World-Cup winning captain is the most recognized and valuable cricketer. With a net worth of $65 million, Dhoni has been sponsored by Reebok, PepsiCo, and Sony, etc. In 2019, he earned $23 million from endorsements alone. According to Forbes, Dhoni has held the No.1 slot of richest cricketers since 2009. He is by far one of the wealthiest cricket players in the world. In 2013, Spartan sponsored Dhoni’s bat for 250 million INR, while n 2016 the deal got renewed for another three years.
2. Virat Kohli
Kohli made $3.1 million through Nike, PepsiCo, Toyota and Head and Shoulders endorsements alone. MRF, the most widely known bat sponsor in India, entered into a $15 million deal with Virat in 2017 for eight years, thus comes down to 12.5 crores a year just for displaying their sticker on his bat.
3. Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir has a net worth of $44 million with $3.5 million in salary. He has dealt with brands such as Red Bull, Reebok, Hero MotoCorp, Beverly Hills Polo Club, etc. Just like Virat, Gautam was also sponsored by MRF for a bat deal.
4. Virender Sehwag
Sehwag has endorsed brands like Fila, Hero Motocorp, and Royal Challenge. His net worth is $40 million with $3.5 Million in salary Sehwag used to be sponsored by Britannia but soon after the deal was over, Hero Honda immediately signed a contract with him. Though the joint venture of Hero and Honda dissolved in 2010, hero continued to collaborate with him, and it turned out to be successful as he scored a record-breaking double century in an ODI against West Indies with Hero MotoCorp sponsored bat.
5. Rohit Sharma
The flamboyant-Indian opener Rohit Sharma has an association with CEAT, a leading tire manufacturer and a rival brand of MRF. As per The Economic Times, the right-handed batsman gets a pay-check of INR3 Crores to display the CEAT logo on his bat. Sharma has a net worth of $36 million with a salary of $2 million; his deal was extended in 2018 with CEAT for another three years.
6. Suresh Raina
Previously, Raina was sponsored by brands like PepsiCo and Aircel; he has a net worth of $25 million and a salary of $3 million. In 2015, Suresh signed a three-year bat sponsorship with CEAT, while at present he is signed by Elista, a brand backed by the prestigious TeknoDome Group as its brand ambassador for a campaign.
7. Rishabh Pant
Pant, in 2016, signed a three-year multi-crore deal with a sports equipment brand, SG. The brand sponsors Rishabh’s bat, which he endorses across each and every one of his international and national cricket matches. Rishabh also signed a personal sponsorship deal with Adidas Cricket in February 2017, while earlier this year he has been signed up for a talent management deal by JSW Sports.
8. Yuvraj Singh
According to The Hindu Business Line, after his gleaming performance in the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh entered into a fruitful deal with PUMA, the world’s third-largest sportswear manufacturer, to receive a hefty sum of 4 crores annually to flaunt the logo of PUMA on his bat.
9. Shikhar Dhawan
The left-handed batsman is known for shining in ICC tournaments in the recent past; due to his performance and fame, MRF decided to sign a deal with him just like other cricketers. Dhawan gets three crores annually for placing the brand’s logo on his bat.
10. KL Rahul
KL Rahul is presently being sponsored by the SG brand and he sports their entire range of cricketing equipment such as bats, pads, gloves, and thigh pads. He uses premium quality specifically designed for him. The bat model has also been named after him, SG KL ULTIMATE Cricket bat.
