Kohli beats Messi, Djoker to become 3rd Most Marketable Player in world
Virat Kohli has been named as the third most marketable sportsperson in the world in a latest survey published by magazine 'SportsPro'. The star is ranked higher than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Novak Djokovic and is behind only NBA MVP Stephen Curry and Juventus' Paul Pogba.
The SportsPro website showered praise on the batsman saying, “Few sportspeople face pressure like international batsmen, striding out to the very centre of an arena in the knowledge that a moment’s lapse can prompt endless regret. For those representing India, with those hundreds of millions of eyes trained upon them, that intensity builds to unimaginable proportions. Yet Kohli – in the blue of his country and latterly the colours of his Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Royal Challengers Bangalore – has seemed impervious to it in the most prolific spell of an outstanding career. Not only has he withstood such hostile conditions, he has bent them to his will.”
Sania Mirza, who has had a great year, is also in the top-50 and is the only other Indian in the list.
On Sania, the website said, “The joyous on-court resurgence in doubles of tennis player Sania Mirza, one of the finest and best-known sports stars in India’s history, has served as a reminder of the way in which a competitive renaissance can
Though she is entering the twilight of her career, Mirza’s peak years are happening now and there is still plenty of time left for a brand to capitalise on her sustained exposure and profile.”
The London-based company's rankings need to be looked upon with a closer eye as their criteria of ranking athletes from across the world differs vastly from regular rankings – it measures marketing potential over a three-year period from this summer.
As the website states, “this ranking has never set out to list the planet’s most marketable athletes as many would have it.
The real challenge – and the job of the vast majority of marketers out there – is in identifying value for money.”
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