India’s Test cricket captain Virat Kohli is the man of the moment - both on and off the field.
The right-handed batsman has not only managed to light up the scoreboards with his stellar performance, he has also left behind India’s ODI and T20 captain MS Dhoni, who is one of the highest paid brand endorsers in the country, by raking in the moolahs through his bat.
According to a Times of India report, Dhoni pockets around Rs 6 crore for placing a Spartan sticker on his bat and Kohli is paid around Rs 8 crore for sticking an MRF logo on the willow. The Delhi batsman also earns around Rs 2 crore for endorsing apparel and shoes on the pitch.
Dhoni, however, is ahead with Rs 8 crore when it comes to off-field brand endorsements such as TV ads. Kohli is paid around Rs 5 crore for the brands he endorses.
Other players in the team are not too far behind. Yuvraj Singh is paid Rs 4 crore by German sportswear maker Puma for his bat, footwear and apparel.
Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma earn Rs 2.5-3 crore and Rs 3 crore for sporting CEAT stickers on their bats and Ajinkya Rahane gets around Rs 1.5 crore for his bat, footwear and apparel put together. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, whose bat is sponsored by MRF, pockets around Rs 3 crore.
{{/usCountry}}Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma earn Rs 2.5-3 crore and Rs 3 crore for sporting CEAT stickers on their bats and Ajinkya Rahane gets around Rs 1.5 crore for his bat, footwear and apparel put together. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, whose bat is sponsored by MRF, pockets around Rs 3 crore.
{{/usCountry}}Among the international stars, the only batsmen who earn as much as Indian players are South Africa’s AB de Villiers and swashbuckling West Indies batsman Chris Gayle.
Reports say Villiers’ bat is worth around Rs 3.5 crore and Gayle’s big scoring willow gets around Rs 3 crore from his deal with Spartan.