Rohit Sharma's staggering rise in endorsement deals, still second to Virat Kohli
Indian white-ball deputy, Rohit Sharma would probably look back at 2019 as one of his best years on and off the field. Indian skipper Virat Kohli even made a statement during the Cricket World Cup in 2019 in England and Wales, that Sharma was the best ODI player in the world at that moment. According to reports by the economic times, Sharma signed 10 new deals in this fiscal year at approximately 55% higher rate than the previous year. The sports marketing experts added that this will help the Mumbai Indians captain earn Rs. 73-75 crore from all the 22 brands he endorses.
He created a world record of scoring five centuries in a single quadrennial event in World Cup 2019. Picking up from where he left, he cracked centuries in both innings of the first Test against South Africa in Vizag, making him the first-ever batsman to score two centuries on debut as a Test opener. Sharma’s World Cup performances had a major role to play in his stakes going higher up, increasing his brand value eventually.
Sharma’s commercial deals have been handled by IMG-Reliance for the past four years. Head of sponsorship sales at IMG-Reliance, Nikhil Bardia said:
“The brand Rohit Sharma has seamlessly evolved over the last few years and has created a niche market for itself… His on-field performance has rapidly advanced and complimented to our off-field strategy, offering a very exciting option for brands.”
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According to reports, Rohit Sharma now charges Rs. One crore with a minimum guarantee of two days a year deal, only next to Virat Kohli who charges three to four times what Sharma does, but with the same number of brands.