Cricket news: Virat Kohli remains India's most valuable celebrity for the third consecutive year

Picture Source: ANI

New Delhi: Team India skipper Virat Kohli is a modern-day idol for many youngsters. He has innumerable records to his name in the game of cricket and his popularity can also be judged by his brand endorsements which are currently highest among celebrities in India.

According to a study by a global advisory firm, Duff and Phelps, Kohli topped the brand valuation list for the third consecutive year as his value rose by an impressive 39 percent to $237.5 million in 2019.

In the study titled Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2019: "New is Gold" which provides a ranking of India's most powerful celebrities based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts, the 31-year-old Indian skipper was way ahead of many Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shah Rukh Khan.

Akshay Kumar is second in the list when it comes to brand endorsements with a brand value of $104.5 million, at a growth of 55.3 percent.

Celebrated Bollywood couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, claimed the third spot with a brand value of $93.5 million each. Deepika retained her most valuable female celebrity status for the second consecutive year whereas Ranveer moved up a spot, to now occupy the same position as that of his wife.

The other sportspersons in the list are all cricketers with M.S. Dhoni claiming the 9th position with a value of $41.2 million, Sachin Tendulkar taking the 15th spot and Rohit Sharma in the 20th place.

Kohli is currently leading Team India in New Zealand in the three-match ODI series. India lost its first ODI on 5th February and is looking for a comeback in the second ODI on 8th February.

India had won the five-match T20I series 5-0.