Virat Kohli signs Rs 110 crore deal with Puma, biggest of its kind for any Indian sportsperson

Virat Kohli, who has a knack for breaking records on the field, broke a different one this week by becoming the first Indian sportsman to sign a Rs 110 crore endorsement deal with a single brand.

Kohli signed an eight-year deal with sports apparel brand Puma, worth a staggering Rs 110 crore, reported the Times of India.

With this deal, the Indian Captain will join global sports icons like Usain Bolt, Thierry Henry and Oliver Giroud among others, as a global ambassador for the brand.

The deal reportedly involves a fixed payment and royalty depending on the brand’s business performance and could very well extend all the way till the 28-year-old’s career with the Indian team.

The ace batsman will work with the German company to launch a signature line of sports lifestyle products with a special logo and brand identity. A bulk of the amount, estimated to be around Rs 12 to 14 crore, will be paid annually as a fixed payout.

“It’s a privilege to be part of a great list of athletes that Puma has. Not just today’s icons like Usain Bolt but also the brand’s rich history with Pele, Maradona, Thierry Henry and others,” Kohli told TOI.

“Both Puma and I are committed to a long-term partnership. I am impressed by the way Puma has gained popularity and market leadership in India in a short period of time,” he added.

Prior to Kohli, cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been in the Rs 100-crore club through multi-year contracts, albeit with different brands and agencies.

Tendulkar’s biggest deal, with Saatchi and Saatchi’s Iconix, fetched him Rs 175 crore over three years, while Dhoni’s multiple deals made him richer by approximately Rs 180 crore.

Kohli’s previous deal with Adidas, which earned him Rs 30 crore over three years, ended in 2016.

“Virat has transformed the way fitness is looked at in Indian cricket. He has emphasized the role of an athlete and reshaping cricket in the millennial culture, thus endorsing our brand ethos. He is a youth icon with an effortless style,” Puma India MD Abhishek Ganguly said.

The brand will reportedly work with Kohli in markets like UK, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East or anywhere else where the cricketer has a fan following.

His first Puma commercial will air on national television today.