India cricket captain Virat Kohli has signed his second sponsorship deal worth more than Rs 100 crore, if this report in the Economic Times is to be believed. Less than four months after becoming the first Indian sportsperson to sign an endorsement deal worth more than Rs 100 crore with a single brand (Puma), Kohli has now inked an eight-year deal with Indian tyre maker MRF worth north of Rs 100 crore, the report said, quoting anonymous officials.
The India captain first signed on with MRF three years ago in a deal worth Rs 8 crore. The cricketer’s manager Bunty Sajdeh, CEO of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment, did not reveal the exact figures behind the new deal but said that it was a “significant jump” from the previous one.
“MRF was keen on securing Kohli for a long term,” Sajdeh told the business newspaper. “Today, brands are seeing value in securing long-term deals. We also want to show loyalty and commitment to them. And Kohli has got a great rapport with MRF and the money is phenomenal.”
MRF has previously sponsored cricketing legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Steve Waugh. The Chennai-based company currently also sponsors India’s Shikhar Dhawan and South Africa’s AB de Villiers, apart from Kohli. All cricketers sponsored by MRF paste its logo on their bats.