Virat Kohli seventh on Forbes' list of most valuable athlete brands, ahead of Lionel Messi

What's the story?

Virat Kohli is living the good life. He has been sensational with the bat in recent times and that has had a positive impact off the field as well. Kohli recently overtook Argentina and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi on Forbes' list of most valuable brands among athletes, and sits pretty in the seventh spot.

In case you didn't know...

Forbes' list takes into account athletes' earnings excluding their salary and bonuses from their respective sports and subtracts the average income of the ten highest earners from that particular sport, giving rise to the brand value of the athlete in question.

The heart of the matter

According to Forbes, Kohli's brand value stands at a whopping $14.5m. Messi meanwhile is worth $13.5m and just about makes it to the top ten. 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer rules the roost with $37.2m and he is closely followed by LeBron James, Usain Bolt and Cristiano Ronaldo who are valued at $33.4m, $27m and $21.5m respectively.

The top 10 are as follows:

#1 Roger Federer - $37.2m

#2 LeBron James - $33.4m

#3 Usain Bolt - $27m

#4 Cristiano Ronaldo - $21.5m

#5 Phil Mickelson - $19.6m

#6 Tiger Woods - $16.6m

#7 Virat Kohli - $14.5m

#8 Rory McIlroy - $13.6m

#9 Lionel Messi - $13.5m

#10 Stephen Curry - $13.4m

Kohli recently leapfrogged former Indian skipper MS Dhoni on the list of most valued celebrity brands according to a report published by Duff & Phelps last October. He is reportedly worth around $95m and is closing in on Shah Rukh Khan who is valued at a shade over $130m.

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No wonder he is valued so highly!

Author's take

Kohli is one of the most marketable athletes on the planet and it is no surprise that he is ranked so high on the list, above even the likes of Messi. From his astounding ability on the field to his perspicacious qualities off it (best highlighted by his decision to end his endorsement deal with Pepsi since he does not consume the product), the Indian skipper is truly one to look up to.