Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has broken into the top 10 of international athletes with the highest brand value, according to Forbes. Believe it or not, his place in the list is significantly higher than that than football legend Lionel Messi, NBA great Steph Curry and golf star Rory McIlroy, according to the latest list of most valuable brands among sports athletes by the magazine.
The cricketer, who has enjoyed a prolific 2017 so far on the cricket field, has added another feather to his cap. With a brand value of $14.5 million (Rs 94 crore), Kohli is placed at seventh in the overall list, about a hundred million more than Messi’s $13.5 million (Rs 87.5 crore) at ninth.
An athlete’s brand value, according to Forbes, is their earnings (excluding salary and bonus from their sport and all investment), minus the average income of the top 10 athletes in the same sport. This essentially means endorsements and other such earning other than match fees.
Roger Federer tops the list with a brand value of $37.2 million (Rs 241 crore), followed by LeBron James with $33.4 million (Rs 216.5 crore), Usain Bolt with $27 million (Rs 175 crore), and Cristiano Ronaldo with $21.5 million (Rs 139.3 crore).
This jump by Kohli might not come as a complete surprise though. He has steadily climbed the international brand value ladder this year – the same year he became India captain in all formats. In February, he became first Indian sportsperson to ink a Rs 100-crore deal with a single brand when he signed an eight-year contract with German sports apparel maker Puma, worth Rs 110 crore. He joined the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Thierry Henry, among others, as a global ambassador for the brand.
Among Indian cricketers, only Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been in the Rs 100-crore club through multi-year contracts with talent management agencies, but they have never been signed by a single brand for such a big amount .
Top 10 in the Forbes List
1. Roger Federer $37.2m
2. LeBron James $33.4m
3. Usain Bolt $27m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo $21.5m
5. Phil Mickelson $19.6m
6. Tiger Woods $16.6m
7. Virat Kohli $14.5m
8. Rory McIlroy $13.6m
9. Lionel Messi $13.5m
10. Steph Curry $13.4m
You can see the full list on Forbes.
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