With Virat Kohli stepping away from Test and T20I cricket, a critical question looms beyond the cricketing circles: Can India‘’‘s most valuable celebrity brand continue its dominance without regular on-field visibility?
Kohli’s decision, announced earlier this year, marks a pivotal shift in Indian cricket. But as cricket fans digest the implications of his partial retirement, marketers and brand strategists are confronting a different kind of question, the future of Brand Kohli, which is currently valued at an estimated ₹1,900 crore (as per 2024 reports by Duff & Phelps, now Kroll).
Strategic market leader Dinesh Arora, in a widely discussed LinkedIn post, posed the crucial question: “Can his jaw-dropping ₹1,900 crore brand thrive without constant on-field visibility?”
A Brand Bigger Than the Field?
Virat Kohli’s brand dominance is undisputed. He is the only Indian athlete to surpass ₹100 crore in a single brand deal Puma signed him for a landmark ₹110 crore agreement in 2017. He renewed his bat sponsorship deal with MRF the same year for another ₹100 crore, outshining even his cricketing peers.
Kohli currently endorses over 40 brands, including global giants like PUMA, Audi AG, Myntra, Blue Star Limited, TISSOT, PepsiCo, Colgate-Palmolive, Nestlé, Reebok, and Boost. According to a 2024 TAM AdEx report, Kohli was among the top 3 most visible male celebrities in Indian advertising, a rare feat for a sportsperson not actively present in all formats of the game.
Reinvention Over Hype
Dinesh Arora’s post underscores Kohli’s resilience, highlighting how after his dismal England tour in 2014, many brands distanced themselves. Rather than launching a redemption PR campaign, Kohli let performance do the talking, bouncing back in 2016 with a historic 973 runs in a single IPL season.
“The brands that stood by him then,” Arora notes, “struck gold.”
His post outlines a key takeaway for marketers: Reinvention is more sustainable than hype. Kohli’s career shows how adapting and evolving can preserve brand equity, even when visibility dips.
Platform-Agnostic Presence
Kohli’s reduced role in international cricket doesn’t equate to a lack of visibility. He remains central to the Indian Premier League (IPL), continues to play ODIs, and commands a social media empire with over 270 million followers on Instagram, placing him among the top 20 global celebrities on the platform.
As Arora puts it, “Even without playing every format, Kohli remains in the public eye. That’s proof that relevance doesn’t always require constant appearances. It needs a consistent narrative.”
Fitness, Focus, and Fearlessness: The Core of Brand Kohli
Kohli’s personal transformation from a volatile young player to a disciplined fitness icon is central to his brand story. His investments in ventures like Chisel Gym, WROGN (a youth fashion brand), and stakes in wellness startups show how his brand strategy is built around authenticity, not just celebrity.
According to Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2024, Kohli surpassed Bollywood powerhouses like Shah Rukh Khan and Ranveer Singh in brand value, thanks to his pan-India and international appeal cutting across urban, semi-urban, and youth segments.
Lessons for Marketers
Arora’s reflections draw a parallel between Kohli’s discipline and brand strategy. “As a marketer, I’ve faced flopped campaigns, budget cuts, and misfired strategies, just like Kohli has faced slumps and criticism. But the solution is never a panic pivot. It’s clarity, consistency, and character.”
And that, he says, is the real branding lesson from Virat Kohli – one that could reshape how celebrity brands sustain themselves in the era of social media and multi-format visibility.
What’s Next?
With Kohli’s international career entering its final chapters and his focus shifting to personal ventures and the IPL, many will watch to see if his off-field narrative continues to drive engagement.
For now, all signs suggest that Brand Kohli has transcended cricket. As Arora aptly summarized: “Kohli is a different ball game altogether.”
Also Read: Virat Kohli Ends Puma Deal, Invests in Agilitas to Grow One8
