English exploits lift Pant's brand appeal

Brands are lining up to sign Rishabh Pant after the cricketer's historic twin centuries in the first India-England Test at Headingley.

- Varuni Khosla

Brands are lining up to sign Rishabh Pant after the cricketer's historic twin centuries in the first India-England Test at Headingley. The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman became the first Indian to score centuries in both innings of a Test in England, and is now poised to nearly double his brand portfolio by the end of the year. He started the year with 18 endorsement contracts.

Pant's brand value has seen an estimated 70-75% surge from his pre-injury days. (Pant returned to the Indian Premier League in March 2024 after an over-year-long hiatus following an accident). He now commands ₹2.5 crore for a single-day ad shoot and around ₹4.5-4.75 crore for a two-day engagement, according to advertising industry insiders.

For context, top Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma charge ₹3.5-4.5 crore for one-day and ₹7 crore for two-day endorsement schedules per year.

But, "as Virat Kohli nears the twilight of his career, there's room opening up for a new set of endorsable stars—and Pant is right up there," said Harsh Talikoti, director at Houlihan Lokey, an NYSE-listed investment bank that values some large-scale sports and entertainment properties such as the IPL.