Samira Vishwas
Tezzbuzz|14-04-2026
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In the fascinating world of Indian cricket, even the bat eanrs money. As the Indian Premier League 2026 season gets underway, the sticker wars have reached new heights, with top brands like MRF, CEATand SG spending hundreds of crores to claim a spot on the blades of the world’s most-watched athletes. From Virat Kohli’s record-breaking legacy deal to the massive rise of young stars like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal and the blank bat of Ishan Kishan, here is the definitive breakdown of the most expensive and high-profile bat sponsorship deals in Indian cricket today.
Virat Kohli’s Earning From Bat Sponsorship
Virat Kohli’s partnership with MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) is the most lucrative bat sponsorship deal in cricket history. He signed a massive 8-year extension in 2017 reportedly worth over ₹100 crore. The long-term contract remains active through the Indian Premier League 2026 season. Annually, Kohli leads the chart with more than 12 Crore INR earning per year from just bat sponsorship. However, it’s a reported information, official data is not yet revealed.
The ‘MRF Genius Grand King’ the Memorabilia of Virat Kohlu has such high brand value that it retails for approximately INR 1.5 lakh in India as well as international markets like Australia.
By securing the MRF deal, Virat Kohli who is nicknamed ‘King’ of Indian cricket, became the first Indian athlete to hold two concurrent endorsement contracts valued at over ₹100 crore, the other being with Puma. The second player in India to hold a mouthwatering sponsor deal for his bat is Shubman Gill. The Gujarat Titans captain signed a major deal with MRF in March 2025 estimated at 8–10 crore INR annually.
Recently, bat sponsorship came to light during the IPL 2026 season when reports circulating on social media claimed that Ishan Kishan demanded higher payment after gaining recognition with India’s T20 World Cup 2026 win and his rise as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s stand-in captain.
Previously associated with SG, Kishan reportedly sought a deal in the 7–10 crore INR range, citing increased market value and comparisons with players like Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, SG is said to have declined the offer, leaving Kishan currently playing with a blank bat in the match agasint Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
On the other hand, the hitman of team India, Rohit Sharma maintains a long-term partnership with CEAT valued at roughly INR 3–4 crore per year.
How Much Indian Cricketers Earn From Bat Sponsorship Yearly?
Following is the list of how much the top stars of Indian cricket team earn just from their bat sponsorship:
- Virat Kohli — ₹12Cr+
- Shubman Gill — ₹8–10Cr
- Ishan Kishan — ₹7–10Cr
- Rohit Sharma — ₹3–4Cr
- Yashasvi Jaiswal — ₹4Cr
- MS Dhoni — ₹3–4Cr
- Hardik Pandya — ₹3–4Cr
- Shreyas Iyer — ₹1–1.5Cr
- Abhishek Sharma — ₹1Cr+
- KL Rahul — ₹1Cr
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