Virat Kohli’s bat earns him more than anyone else in the team

Even though Virat Kohli, the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket, lags behind skipper MS Dhoni when it comes to his brand endorsements, he is way ahead of Dhoni when it comes to minting money using his weapon of choice, his cricket bat.

Reportedly, Kohli gets paid Rs 8 crore to put a Spartan sticker on his bat, while Mahi gets Rs 6 crore to do the same. It must have something to do with the fact that the ‘on-ground’ Kohli is more valued than the ‘off ground’ Kohli, because the Delhi lad gets an additional Rs 2 crore for endorsing apparel and shoes on the pitch.

"Dhoni, Yuvraj and Kohli are the players who can get merchandise to move off the shelves," the CEO of a large sportswear firm told ET.

The World T20 is in progress right now, and the ninth season of IPL is soon to follow, which is why it’s raining money for the top players of the cricket teams. Brands are going bonkers to sign up new players for kit endorsements, in the hope that the more visible they are, the more positive impact it would have on their sales.

To name a few deals, Puma has signed Yuvraj Singh for around Rs 4 crore for his bat, footwear and apparel. Similarly, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma will get Rs 2.5-3 crore and Rs 3 crore to sport Ceat stickers on their bats.

"Indian players are paid much more than their foreign counterparts because cricket is the most followed sport in the country," a senior executive with a large sport marketing firm told ET. "However, international stars such as AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle who have a large fan following here, demand big money too."

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