Virat Kohli, an asset to the advertisers and a treat to the audience

Virat Kohli, who is the most valued player in Indian cricket team right now, is soon to become one of the most valued celebrities in India. He has already joined the coveted Rs 100 crore club this year, while endorsing 13.

"Virat has, for a while, been darling of the advertisers. Now I think he is just driving the point home. Today, he is very much on par, if not higher, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni," Bunty Sajdeh, founder and CEO of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment told ET.

It was in 2014 that Kohli had set the endorsements world abuzz when he signed Rs 10 crore per annum deal with German sports goods giant Adidas. The next big deal in his life was a Rs 6.5 crore-per-year deal that he cracked with MRF. As of now, he also endorses Pepsi, Audi, Vicks, Boost, USL, TVS, Smaash, Nitesh Estates, Tissot, Herbalife, and Colgate.

"He is physically and mentally very strong and comes across as fearless. He ticks out the top five boxes that any advertiser will look for while engaging with a celebrity," Sajdeh said. "He is giving advertisers a reason to look outside Bollywood, which is a very cluttered space. That is why he is so successful at such a young age," he added.

Experts are also of the view that Kohli will surpass Dhoni this year in terms of earnings per brand.

Image source