Bollywood vs Cricket: Kohli, Dhoni, and Tendulkar Leave Shah Rukh, Salman Behind in New Poll

According to a recent survey, Bollywood celebrities Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Salman Khan have less brand value than cricket greats Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar.

Cricket is popular right now, and cricket players have significantly outperformed Bollywood celebrities in terms of brand endorsements. According to Hansa Research’s Brand Endorser 2024 Report, Indian cricket greats Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli have eclipsed Bollywood icons Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan.

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Brands spent around Rs 500 crore on celebrity endorsements in 2023, with category fit and fame playing a major role in the selection process. A methodical, data-driven approach to choosing the ideal celebrity partner is offered by the Brand Endorser Report 2024. Likeability, Fan Following, Perception, Interest to See, Category Fit, and Recognition are the seven main factors that go into determining each celebrity’s unique Brand Endorser Score.

Former India captain Virat Kohli is ranked as the number one celebrity, followed by former Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni in second position and Sachin Tendulkar in third, according to the Brand Endorser Report 2024. The greatest names in Bollywood, such as Shah Rukh Khan (4th), Akshay Kumar (5th), Amitabh Bachchan (6th), and Salman Khan (8th), have been displaced by the three cricket superstars.

Due to his high ranking in metrics like Likeability, Popularity, and public desire in seeing him promote items in the near future, Kohli, who was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 21 crore before to the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, achieves first place. He is strongly linked to certain imaging qualities, such as modern, youthful, self-assured, and aspirational.

read more: India Thrash Pakistan Again, ICC Considers Major Plan for Champions Trophy 2025

For the next IPL 2025 season, Dhoni was paid merely Rs 4 crore to remain a “uncapped” player with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

From Indian Express per Hansa Research
Celebrities 2024 Ranking
•Virat Kohli
•MS Dhoni
•Sachin Tendulkar
•Shah Rukh Khan
•Akshay Kumar
•Amitabh Bachchan
•Allu Arjun
•Salman Khan
•Hrithik Roshan
•Deepika Padukone

— Celia B 𓀠 🫶💛💙 (@CeliaBlalock) November 27, 2024

Ashish Karnad, executive vice president of Hansa Research, commented on the results, saying, “Cricket players are different from other celebrities because of their capacity to emotionally and aspirationally connect with viewers. Their dedication and tenacity have won them respect, whether it is due to the nostalgia associated with greats like Sachin Tendulkar or the dynamic energy of players like Virat Kohli and M.S. Dhoni. They have become powerful brand ambassadors, chosen by companies to spread their ideas and foster trust across a wide range of audiences, since they are viewed as real-life heroes who have overcome adversity to make their nation proud.

According to the survey, Deepika Padukone, who came in at number ten, is the only female star to be listed in the top 10. Over the past two years, Amitabh Bachchan has fallen four spots, from second in 2022 to sixth in 2024.

The sole South Indian player in the top 10, Allu Arjun, improved significantly, going from sixteenth in 2022 to seventh in 2024.

In 36 cities, 4,000 respondents participated in the research for this study. Structured online surveys were used to gather information about the performance and rankings of a few chosen celebrities around India.