Virat Kohli set to overtake Aamir, Ranbeer, Dhoni to become the highest paid celebrity in the country

If sources are to be believed, Indian captain Virat Kohli hiked his endorsement fee from Rs 2.5- 4 crores a day to a whopping Rs 5 crores. This hike would easily make Kohli as one of the most sought after icons in cricketing history. Kohli would surpass the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Aamir Khan, Ranbeer Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in terms of gross value.

Virat stole all the headlines last month after signing an unbelievable Rs 110-crore deal with Puma. A survey conducted by Duff & Phelps in 2016 states Kohli’s his brand value at $92.4 million, only behind Shah Rukh Khan at $131.2 million.  Also, PepsiCo are seeking contract extension for their endorsement deal with this Sportstar.

Bunty Sajdeh, the CEO of Cornerstone Sport, went on to state to The Economic Times “Virat is contracted with Pepsi until April 30. We are currently negotiating a contract extension with the Pepsi-Co team. Pepsi has been one of our longest and most fruitful associations until now and hopefully we will collaborate with them for years to come.”

As per recent reports, Kohli is not too keen to renew his endorsement deal with the cola company citing the health concerns. Quoting brand consultant Harish Bijnoor, “Cola is a troubled category for now and in this case, the company will certainly be keen on extending the contract. Apart from this, Virat represents panache and style, which is what a cola brand looks for” However, reports have emerged that with the termination of association with Mahendra Singh Dhoni last year, PepsiCo would leave no stone unturned to extend the contract with the current Indian captain.

As a result of this hike, Virat Kohli surpassed some of the greatest names in the field of sports and cinema to cement his stature as one of the modern greats this country has ever witnessed.