Indian skipper Virat Kohli has renewed his bat sponsorship deal with leading tyre manufacture company MRF. Earlier Virat Kohli used to put Nike sticker on his bat. In 2013 a squabble made him part ways and since then he has been involved with MRF.
Bunty Sajdeh, the CEO of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment, the company which manages Virat Kohli”s endorsements refused to reveal the amount only revealing that the superstar batsman has extended the contract.
“We have renewed the bat sponsorship deal with MRF for eight years. MRF was keen on having Kohli for long term. Today, brands are seeing value in securing long-term deals. We also want to show loyalty and commitment to them. And Kohli has got a great rapport with MRF and the money is phenomenal,” Bunty Sajdeh said.
Earlier Virat severed his ties with PepsiCo saying there is no need to endorse products that he doesn”t consume. “If I myself won’t consume such things, I won’t urge others to consume it, just because I am getting money out of it,” said Kohli in an interview.
“When I started my fitness turnaround, it was more of a lifestyle thing initially. If something goes away from that, I would not want to be a part of that or be promoting that.” he added.
King Kohli as he is fondly called by his fans and who is looked upon to break Sachin Tendulkar”s records has earned around $22 million, which includes $3 million from salary and winnings, while the rest $19 million from endorsements.
Virat charges 5 Crores per day as Endorsement fee which makes him highest paid cricketer via endorsements. He current endorsements include Audi cars, MRF tyres, Tissot watches, Gionee phones, Boost milk drink, Colgate toothpaste and Vicks lozenges and others.
– by Atharva Apte
