Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur) - Hindustan Times (Jaipur) - City
DECODING KOHLI
As Kohli pips star footballer Lionel Messi in the Forbes’ list, we find out what makes him such a big brand
It goes without saying that he is one of the biggest sports stars India has ever seen. And now, Team India skipper Virat Kohli, with a value of $14.5 million (94 crore), has broken into the global league as he pips Argentina and Barcelona star footballer, Lionel Messi, in the Forbes’ latest list of the most valuable brands among sportspersons. Kohli is at the seventh place, Irish golfer Rory Mcilroy at the eighth spot, even as Messi and basketball star Steph Curry complete the top 10 list. But what really makes Kohli such a big brand at such a young age? Ad guru Alyque Padmasee feels the 28-year-old cricketer “has everything going for him to be the brand world’s favourite.” He says, “Virat is a young, fit, goodlooking man, aggressive, fearless, extremely popular among women, and, most importantly, is excellent at his game. Plus, he is a very successful captain.” Interestingly, Kohli didn’t feature in the list last year, but in 2017, he has replaced Dhoni, who was at the 10th spot last year with a value of $11 million (71 crore). This “could just be the starting point” of brand Virat’s journey, feel experts, adding that Virat has “just started to peak now”, while the likes of tennis star Roger Federer (No.1 in the list), football player Cristiano Ronaldo (No.4 in the list) and Messi have been “in the thick of things” for years now. Brand managers predict that Virat’s brand value could grow 50-100%over the next couple of years. “It shouldn’t be surprising at all. Virat is possibly the biggest cricketing star right now. India is a huge nation where cricket is a big sport. In fact, it’s as popular and enormous as football in Europe,” says filmmaker and advertising expert R Balki.
VIRAT HAS BROKEN INTO THE GLOBAL LEAGUE AS HE PIPS ARGENTINA AND BARCELONA STAR FOOTBALLER, LIONEL MESSI, IN THE FORBES’ LATEST LIST OF THE MOST VALUABLE BRANDS AMONG SPORTSPERSONS