When members of India’s national cricket team unveiled their official jerseys ahead of the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy, images of the players went viral, amplified by the huge social media following of superstars like Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. Most fans were laser-focused on the players’ performance in the international tournament ahead — in which India ultimately emerged victorious — but more than a few also mused over the lives of these stylish sportsmen off the pitch.
Cricket is a national obsession in India, often likened to a religion that unites the diverse country. Deified cricketers find themselves elevated to the same pedestal as Bollywood stars, if not higher. With 270 million followers on Instagram, Virat or ‘King Kohli’ as his legion of die-hard fans refer to him, is the most followed Indian on the social media platform, and the third-most followed athlete in the world — surpassed only by footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Other top Indian cricketers boast tens of millions of fans on their accounts too.
Considering their unprecedented reach, fandom and celebrity status, India’s leading cricketers are highly influential figures. Off the pitch, many have monetised this star power by endorsing everything from financial services, health food and travel gear to automobiles and electronics. Luxury and high-end fashion endorsements, however, remain a largely untapped territory even though some players are considered style leaders as well as role models.
The dearth of endorsement deals is not down to lack of interest from the local luxury industry. Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill have been shot for the cover of the Indian edition of men’s fashion glossy GQ while Shreya Iyer has appeared on the cover of local magazine Man’s World (MW) in recent months. One of the awardees at Vogue India’s ‘Forces of Fashion’ event last year was Hardik Pandya, who wore a much-lauded Celine look, layered with diamonds. And on countless social media accounts, male cricketers regularly attract attention for the designer outfits they wear off the pitch.
The value of India’s luxury menswear apparel market is expected to grow 3.4 percent each year to touch $163.1 million by 2028, up from $142.7 million in 2024, according to Euromonitor International. These figures do not include accessories, footwear, watches and jewellery, luxury goods categories which have traditionally been stronger performers in the country.
India’s potential to be a growth engine for the global luxury industry is as evident as the growing synergy between cricket and high-end fashion. So why have brands been so slow to sign sportsmen who have the potential to be celebrity marketing goldmines?
Sitting in the Mass Appeal Box
One reason luxury brands find it hard to tap into cricket is its perception in India as a game for the common man or the masses, far removed from the glamour of football, and the elite status bestowed on tennis, Formula 1 and golf. This is at odds with cricket’s traditionally posh reputation in countries like the UK.
Rather than high-flyers, Indian cricketers are seen as “people’s champions,” who “represent important stories of small-town boys or girls [making it big],” says Nikhil Bardia, head of Reliance Industries-owned sports, lifestyle, and entertainment company Rise Worldwide, who oversees a roster of talent including some of India’s biggest cricketers such as Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah.
Consequently, Indian cricketers are “more likely to choose brands aligned with the values of dependability and relatability, and these often tend to be brands with mass reach,” says Shyamli Arora, a stylist and costume designer who works with MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid.
When cricketers do link hands with fashion, it is more common for them to explore integrations with mass apparel, sportswear and activewear labels such as Rohit Sharma’s deal with Adidas, or Shreyas Iyer’s and Smriti Mandhana’s linkup with Nike.
While these associations do see players rake in the big bucks — when Virat Kohli signed with Puma in 2017 it was widely reported that his eight-year endorsement deal was worth 110 crore rupees ($12.7 million) — it doesn’t necessarily give them the glossy image luxury brands seek in their partners.
The return on investment for these partnerships is compelling, nonetheless. According to Launchmetrics, Kohli generated an MIV (media impact value) of $15.6 million in 2024 for Puma across his own social media posts (amounting to $10.1 million) and its resulting ‘echo’ effect. The MIV metric aims to measure the impact of all media placements and mentions across different voices and channels.
Another factor for cricketers and agents to consider when assessing brand alignment is that Indian players “hold great sway in tier-two and tier-three cities…[so] it benefits them if they’re more attached to the country, and don’t seem out of reach,” Arora adds.
The accessibility factor might help explain why Ralph Lauren, a masstige player with more affordable diffusion lines and sub-brands, paired with retired cricketer and national treasure Sachin Tendulkar. His posts for the American brand — which he also wore to the Wimbledon tennis tournament — resulted in an MIV of $1.1 million for the brand last year, higher than the value of posts for the brand from American basketball player LeBron James ($412K) and retired British footballer David Beckham’s ($106K).
Understanding the Playing Field
As more brands start sizing up opportunities with cricket, they must also consider the reality that the game is not as universally popular as other sports.
With the game most widely followed in South Asia, Australasia, the UK, Southern Africa, and the Caribbean, its “popularity is limited to select countries, hence there are fewer collaborations with international brands,” concedes Shantanu Mehra, one half of Indian designer label Shantnu & Nikhil.
Cricket’s comparatively limited appeal might explain why it has not attracted a worldwide luxury tie-up akin to Louis Vuitton’s 10-year partnership with Formula 1, and why cricketers have not yet secured ad campaign and ambassadorship deals like those between Burberry and footballers Bukayo Saka and Son Heung-min or Christian Dior and tennis champion Zheng Qinwen.
But Nikhil Mehra is more optimistic. The other half of the designer duo Shantnu & Nikhil believes cricket is “on the verge of becoming a global sport,” adding that in the Indian market, it is a culture in its own right and “one of our top entertainment industries.” So much so, in fact, that, the pair launched a brand of cricket-inspired bridge-to-luxury clothing called Shantnu Nikhil Cricket Club (SNCC) over two years ago.
Still, in a country like India, where the influence of actors and celebrities is particularity potent, fashion labels continue to see film stars as a much safer bet.
“Film stars have long been the flag bearer of glamour in the country. [Product placements and brand associations] transcend from reel to real more easily, at award ceremonies, red carpets, and fashion magazine events,” says Bardia. “But it’s not a case of Bollywood versus cricket.”
Historically, opportunities were limited for cricketers since they were only seen on the field, but brands are now beginning to take a greater interest in them as India’s luxury market is expected to more than triple by 2030, according to Bain & Company.
When Audemars Piguet paired with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, and Ulysse Nardin with Yuvraj Singh (who is now with Frank Muller) respectively in 2011, the Swiss luxury watchmakers were early movers. Hublot did sign Rohit Sharma in 2016, but such hard luxury endorsements have been slow to materialise.
Yet celebrity stylists have started to note a change. Rahul Vijay, who works with wicketkeeper and batter KL Rahul, says he has witnessed a “definite rise in interest from [luxury and fashion] brands to associate with cricketers, and dress them.” More so, as the rarity of their off-field appearances creates an eager anticipation among followers for sightings that appear instantly on social media.
Dressing cricketers for important events as well as airport appearances is seen as an increasingly valuable marketing play, as is creating collaborative collections of accessories, jewellery and fragrances with them, according to Bardia. “We are at an inflection point, and the next five years are going to be exciting.”
Indeed, the global luxury industry’s celebrity marketing machine has only just shifted gears in India, with ambassadorship deals between brands and female film stars still a relatively new phenomenon. “Such engagements with [male] cricketers will also pick up, but the build-up of these relationships needs time,” Vijay predicts.
Being Mindful of Cricket’s Constraints
Cricket fans in India place intense pressure on players “because of the great emotion attached to the game,” explains Kim Sharma, executive vice president of Dharma Cornerstone Agency, a leading Indian talent and artist management company.
There is a certain sense of ownership over players who are also held to a very high standard and the pendulum of public perception can swing at any moment. In the event of an off day or season, the emotions inspired can be extreme and unforgiving.
As a result, even players who are fashionable in their personal lives, may not necessarily flaunt that in public, because it “can be frowned upon,” says Sharma. “They are expected to be dedicated to the game alone, and not encouraged to have louder lifestyles, or portray a luxe image. It’s a slightly toxic thought, but that’s the narrative that’s been set until now.”
That’s not the only challenge. A popularity metric in cricket directly linked to real-time performances makes the sport sensitive terrain for partner brands to navigate. Both dynamic and fickle, it also makes players — and their agents — cautious about the brand associations they consider.
The rules and sponsorship deals maintained by the game’s governing body, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), are sacrosanct. It’s mandatory for the entire team to dress in the same sponsored uniform (including their cap and kit) — currently made by Adidas for team India — which supersedes any individual endorsements. Similar rules extend to their respective IPL (Indian Premier League) team gear, with footwear being the only category with some leeway.
Yet despite these and other constraints, some younger and social media-savvy cricketers are beginning to demonstrate a greater willingness to affiliate themselves with fashion brands.
Betting on the Right Team
Batter Shubman Gill is actively embracing them. Last October he attended American brand Amiri’s store launch in Delhi alongside actor Shanaya Kapoor. He has also created Instagram content for Dior, and even walked the runway for local designer Kanika Goyal.
His agent and business manager Sebastian Shaji confirms they are looking to position Gill as a “premium, aspirational athlete,” especially given his, “deep interest in pop culture and fashion,” which includes, “even keeping track of where various creative directors and designers are moving internationally.”
Hardik Pandya has also emerged as a fashion favourite, with his evident love for designer wear, diamonds and enviable collection of high-end watches. “We’ve noticed a lot of buzz on our social media pages every time Hardik wears our Indian wear,” says Shantanu Mehra.
Vedang Patel, co-founder of lifestyle brand The Souled Store, where Pandya is both an ambassador and investor, confirms his ability to move product. “There is a positive uptick in sales during campaigns with him. He also generates a significant boost in brand visibility.”
There are other players capturing the public imagination with record-setting performances that are potentially bankable choices for brands.
Wicket-keeper and batter Rishabh Pant and batter Shreyas Iyer, both of whom recently set records for becoming the two most expensive players bought in IPL history, are two examples. Bowler Jasprit Bumrah, considered a ‘once in a generation player’ by many, is another. At the same time, cricketing icons like MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh are said to have timeless appeal and reverence. Iyer just dropped a clothing collection in collaboration with local brand Huemn.
Then there are couples at the intersection of sports and entertainment who can deliver double the impact. The notoriously private (and much-talked-about) couple, actor Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli, have co-endorsed local occasion wear brand Manyavar, promoted Puma together, and also made a rare joint appearance at Dior’s show in Mumbai in 2023. KL Rahul, another cricketer praised for his personal style, is one half of a fashionable power couple with wife Athiya Shetty, an actor and It girl. The couple previously featured in a campaign for eyewear brand Numi Paris.
Some business-savvy cricketers have even started investing in local brands, like Kohli’s stake in Wrogn, a streetwear-inspired brand backed by the Tmrw unit of Aditya Birla Group, and KL Rahul’s backing of lifestyle label Metaman to aid expansion into fragrance. Hardik Pandya has recently partnered with Indian sports streaming platform FanCode to launch his own activewear brand, while cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar — who already has a menswear label True Blue in partnership with Arvind Fashion Brands — is reportedly set to launch an activewear brand soon too.
Star Power and its Price Tag
The fee level attached to onboarding a cricketer may work for FMCG brands and mass retailers with deep pockets, but it potentially places them out of reach for a lot of fashion brands, according to entertainment and sport industry sources. Insiders confirm that a commercial social media post by an A-list Indian cricketer can come with a price tag of around one crore rupees ($116,000) or more, while the average endorsement fee of top players range from 3 to 5 crore rupees ($347,000 to $580,000).
Talent agent Kim Sharma hasn’t noticed a large discrepancy between the fees commanded by cricketers and actors. It’s just that “actors are more likely to actively seek these [luxury or fashion] opportunities, because the brands they endorse are an important part of their positioning.”
Since cricketers already earn a hefty salary from their contracts with the BCCI and IPL, in addition to income from existing local endorsements, the highest-paid players among them — like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — can afford to be ambivalent about luxury brand partnerships or wait until the right brands approach them.
“Commercial values are essential [for cricketers], as their inventory is limited, and there is a life cycle to their on-field performance,” says Bardia. “But gone are the days where you did an endorsement only because the money was right. Partnerships are chosen not only on the basis of the fee but also the marketing plan, narrative, storytelling and impact now.”
The Long Road to Victory
India’s own designer brands have moved faster than their foreign counterparts in leveraging the star power of cricketers, in some part due to their understanding of the complexities and delicate nuances around such associations.
Shantnu & Nikhil has been working with Indian athletes for their campaigns and runway shows since as early as 2004, in addition to having designed jerseys for the Mumbai Indians IPL team until 2023. Their SNCC label has featured Shubman Gill and Harmanpreet Kaur as faces of previous campaigns. “Ultimately, India is an aspirational market, and cricketers drive this aspiration to a great extent, especially among the youth,” explains Nikhil Mehra.
“We get that it’s hard to track how many people are walking into a store because of cricketers,” adds Shantanu. “But we are not even tracking such ROIs (returns on investment). We are looking at artistic alignment, not numbers.”
Women’s cricket is even less developed in fashion marketing terms than men’s. The endorsement portfolio of India’s women’s cricket team has been woefully lean, but the associations that have been made are mainly by domestic labels such as beauty brand LoveChild by Masaba and Qua clothing.
Brands such as these recognise that the value of the emotional relationship built through cricket is greater than meets the eye. They also understand that cricketers present an opportunity to connect with Indian consumers in ways that other famous faces often can’t.
“Brands need to plan well-thought-out and personalised associations with cricketers, the kind that their fans will also feel comfortable with,” says Nikhil Mehra. “And this can only deliver [results] when executed with consistency and commitment [over the long-term] rather than stopgap solutions.”
