5 Famous brand endorsements on the bats of Indian cricketers

Since the last decade or so, cricket clearly has been head and shoulders above other sports in India, not just in terms of the most number of views, but also in terms of the money and compensation received by the cricketers. Not only are the players paid a handsome amount for their heroics on the field, they also earn hefty amounts, courtesy an ample number of endorsements.

A few years ago, multi-crore endorsement deals were the talk of the town in Indian cricket. And they still are, but on a bigger and better scale. Most aspects of cricket today are commercialized and it’s only obvious that the companies want to milk every scrap of the cash-cow property in totality.

Here are the top 5 bat endorsements by Indian cricketers.

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#1 Virat Kohli – MRF

The Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli signed an agreement with the well-known tyre company, MRF (Madras Rubber Factory), prior to the ICC World T20 this year. The deal, as per a report in the Times of India, was signed for a whopping 8 crores. The brand has previously been associated with cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar.

The company milks a lot of cash through the endorsement because Kohli has a huge fan-base in the country. Interestingly, the Delhi-boy is the richest cricketer at the moment, with many more endorsements to his name. He has as many as 14 different brands associated with him.

After earning hefty prize rewards on the field, he earns additional 2 crores for advertising other apparels and shoes both on and off the field.

#2 MS Dhoni – Spartan

MS Dhoni makes Rs. 6 crores from brand endorsements

Indian limited overs skipper MS Dhoni is the second Indian cricketer after Virat Kohli who makes a lot of money through endorsements. He signed an agreement with the sports company Spartan through which he earns an additional income of 6 crores for displaying the brand name on his bat.

Dhoni was previously associated with sporting company Reebok for the major part of his cricket career. Chris Gayle and Michael Clarke also endorse Spartan on their bats. The company makes supreme quality bats and the edges of the willow are very thick to make it sturdy. The handle is supposedly made with rubber to increase the grip of the bat.

#3 Yuvraj Singh – Puma

Yuvraj Singh endorses Puma bats and shoes

It seemed that the sponsors were the most eager to see Yuvraj make a comeback to the team. On his return to cricket, the southpaw was approached by many brands for endorsements. He signed a deal of Rs. 4 crore with Puma – an international sports and apparel brand.

So every time when you notice the Puma sticker on Yuvi’s bat, known that he earns Rs. 4 crore for the advertisement. Not just on his bat, Yuvraj endorses Puma apparels too, including wristbands and shoes. You can notice him wearing fluorescent color Puma sports shoes in the Indian Premier League.

#4 Suresh Raina – CEAT

Suresh Raina has signed a 3 year deal with CEAT

In October 2015, Suresh Raina signed a 3-year deal with CEAT, who is since then representing the company during cricket matches. A young and dynamic player, many Raina endorses a few other brands too.

CEAT has been associated with cricket for a very long time now. Indian opener Rohit Sharma too wears the CEAT sticker on his bat and gets paid 3 crores for it. Raina, on the other hand, signed the deal for 2.5 crores.

CEAT bats are as popular as the MRF ones, and with young cricketers endorsing them, more and more youngsters are opting to buy these bats.

#5 Ajinkya Rahane – Nike

Rahane reportedly earns Rs. 1.5 crore from endorsing Nike

Nike is the official kit sponsor of the Indian Cricket Team. The Nike logo is featured on the bats of many cricketers in the IPL, but most notable of all is Ajinkya Rahane. The batsman signed the deal for 1.5 crore.

Nike bats are very popular among budding cricketers as well, as these have an extended bow and good sized edges, delivering a brilliantly light pickup and big sweet spot. You can notice the Nike stickers on the willows of other batsmen too, namely, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Parthiv Patel.

But according to recent reports, Nike are reconsidering their strategy of sponsoring bats of the cricketers. With such a lot of craze for cricket in India, the brands rightly know how to capitalize on their investments.