Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has hinted at ending his six-year endorsement of carbonated soft drink Pepsi because it does not align with his fitness philosophy. In an interview with Mint, the 28-year-old did not name Pepsi directly, but said that he does not want to promote a product that he does not consume himself.
“When I started my fitness turnaround, it was more of a lifestyle thing initially,” Kohli said. “But now I think it has become so important to the sport – everyone’s taking it up in such a big way – that for me it’s become a part of my thinking pattern. If something goes away from that, I would not want to be a part of that or be promoting that.”
He added, “We are actually on the cusp of making some big changes on that front. Things that I’ve endorsed in the past, I won’t take names, but something that I feel that I don’t connect to anymore. If I myself won’t consume such things, I won’t urge others to consume it just because I’m getting money out of it.”
Apart from Pepsi, Boost and Herbalife are the only food and beverage products that Kohli endorses. The India captain’s contract with PepsiCo ended on April 30, according to The Economic Times. PepsiCo is keen on a contract extension, and a company spokesperson told the business daily that discussions with Kohli’s team are still on. “He may choose to associate with another brand from within the company’s portfolio,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Kohli is one of the biggest celebrity brands in India. His brand value of $92 million is second only to Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s $131 million, according to a report published in October last year by Duff & Phelps, an American corporate finance advisory firm. In February this year, Kohli became the first Indian sportsperson to sign a Rs 100-crore endorsement deal with a single brand – German sports apparel maker Puma.