Virat Kohli appointed brand ambassador of Punjab National Bank

Virat Kohli has added yet another feather in his cap as one of the leading marketable athletes in the word after the Punjab National Bank (PNB), one of the premier banks in the country, roped in the Indian Test skipper as their new brand ambassador. The 27-year-old, who is preparing for India’s upcoming Test series against New Zealand with the first match set to begin at Kanpur from September 22, graced the occasion with his presence as he played the ultimate campaigner for his new brand partnership.

Kohli said that PNB is “mera apna bank (My own bank)” stating that he has been an account holder of the state-owned corporation having its headquarters in New Delhi, his hometown. All leading delegates of the PNB, including Mrs. Usha Ananthasubramanian, Managing Director and CEO along with Sh. K.V. Brahmaji Rao and Dr. Ram S. Sangapure, Executive Directors of the Bank, were present for the ceremony which was held to unveil Kohli’s new association with the bank.

The PNB, one of the most trusted banks in the country with a wide customer base in India and abroad, has taken quite a hitting recently with rising bad loans eating into its profit. With the proposed merger between the State Bank of India and its associate banks also on the cards by the end of this financial year, the bank is hopeful that Kohli's brand value owing to his tremendous success on the field will help them retain their customer base as well as attract the younger generation to opt for PNB as their preferred bank.

"Today PNB is seen as a complete universal bank. Virat Kohli, an energetic young sportsman having mass appeal to the youth of our country has been chosen as the brand ambassador who comes with qualities like determination, focus and for whom winning is a habit," the bank said in a statement.

Kohli has been going from strength to strength as a cricketer with the results showing on the brand factor as well. Earlier this year, he joined Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the latest cricketer in the Rs 100cr club with experts in the field commenting that his value can soar even further. It is believed that PNB is the fourteenth brand that Kohli has penned a deal with leading commercial players like MRF, Pepsi, Audi, Vicks, Boost, USL, TVS, Smaaash, Nitesh Estates, Tissot, Herbalife and Colgate already under his belt.