Virat Kohli bat earns Rs. 2 Crore more than MS Dhoni’s

It is no secret that MS Dhoni earns the most when it comes to advertisements and endorsements. However, when it comes to wielding the bat, Indian vice-captain Virat Kohli is said to earn the most. Essentially, what that means is that each time Virat Kohli wields his splendidly manufactured piece of willow, he earns up to Rs. 2 Crore more than MS Dhoni.

MS Dhoni reportedly receives Rs. 6 Crores for the sporting a Spartan sticker on his bat, Virat Kohli receives Rs. 8 Crores for the MRF sticker on his bat. Kohli also gets paid yet another 2 Crore for sporting apparel, especially the shoes he wears during each match. When it comes to off-field brand endorsements, MS Dhoni leads the race by a country mile, earning Rs. 8 Crores while Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh follow behind the Indian skipper. “Dhoni, Yuvraj and Kohli are the players who can get merchandise to move off the shelves,” said the CEO of a large sportswear firm.

The cricket season this calendar year is a punishing one. With barely a few hours between the conclusion of the World T20 and the Indian Premier League, sport and apparel brands are in a scramble to sign big players to endorse their brand.

“The cricket calendar is punishing this season. With the World T20 in progress and the IPL to follow, there is a mad scramble among brands to sign up new players for kit endorsements hoping that the visibility will have a positive impact on their sales. Apart from usual players such as Puma and Nike, new entrants such as US footwear brand New Balance and European sportswear firm Head, known for their tennis racquets, are also targeting T20 cricket leagues. We have launched around 250 retail points in the country for our cricket equipment,” said Rajesh Nagpal, MD, Head Cricket India.

“Although we haven’t signed any Indian players yet, India is a huge market and we expect the buzz around T20 to provide traction to our cricket gear which is a new category for us.”

Indian left-handed batsman, Suresh Raina earns between 2.5 to 3 Crore for his bat sticker while Ajinkya Rahane earns 1.5 Crore for his bat and apparel together. Shikhar Dhawan also reportedly earns between 2-3 Crore for his bat sponsor which happens to be MRF.

Overseas players such as AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle are also said to make their money on bat stickers. It is reported that AB de Villiers receives 3.5 Crores for his bat sticker while Jamaican Chris Gayle pockets 2.5 Crores for his deal with Spartan. Further reports also suggest that de Villiers may become an MRF endorser in the future.

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