What’s the story?
After a great 2016, Ravichandran Ashwin’s 2017 is off to a great start as the all-rounder has signed a new partnership deal that could see him become one of the highest paid players in India.
The Indian off-spinner and 2016 ICC Cricketer of the Year will be the highest endorsed cricketer in India by the end of 2017, according to the consulting co-founder of ITW Blitz, Mr. Bhairav Shanth.
He said that his company believes that there is tremendous potential for brand Ashwin and they intend to bring in excess of 15 brands for the Tamil Nadu cricketer by the end of this year.
In case you didn’t know...
Recently, Ashwin signed a branding partnership with ITW Blitz, the talent management arm of ITW, that manages quite a few cricketers.
The deal was announced at a press conference in Chennai where Ashwin was felicitated for winning the 2016 ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year awards.
With 72 wickets in 12 Tests at an average of 23.90 including 8 5-fors and 612 runs in 14 innings at a healthy average of 43 with 4 fifties and 2 centuries, Ashwin had a memorable 2016 that saw him winning the ICC honours.
The heart of the matter
According to Bhairav, Ashwin's brand equity level has gone up following him being named as the International Cricket Council’s Player of the Year.
When asked why a brand owner should hire the Indian offie as an ambassador, Bhairav said, “Ashwin is very honest and has a clean image, he is a tough player on the field and a consistent performer who has a lot of commitment to perform. These will bring the brands to Ashwin”
Immediately, Ashwin grabbed the microphone and said, “We are not here to discuss why brands want to sign us, we are here for responsible endorsing and we will decide whom we want to endorse.”
Also read: R Ashwin speaks on MS Dhoni’s resignation
What’s next?
If everything goes well, Ashwin could end up earning around Rs. 200 crores, which is more than the endorsement deals of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni and the current captain Virat Kohli.
Right now, Dhoni and Kohli are the biggest brands in Indian cricket. According to the 2016 endorsement figures, Dhoni is valued at Rs. 150 crores while the newly appointed Indian limited-overs captain, Kohli is valued at just below Rs. 130 crores.
Sportskeeda’s take
Ashwin's stock as an international cricketer has risen rapidly and if he carries forward from where he left off in 2016, his brand value will also continue to grow in terms of his endorsements.
But it will be difficult to say whether he will surpass the likes of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who are ruling the roost right now and Kohli, especially, is expected to dominate further after having been appointed skipper in all three formats.
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