Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the biggest poster boys of Indian cricket today.
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But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is likely to change the scenario and the Indian skipper and his deputy are expected to face significant losses.
A recent study suggests that the endorsement fees could drop by a huge 20 to 30 percent. Despite this, the report suggests the likes of Kohli, Rohit and former captain MS Dhoni remain favourites as endorsers for the brands.
As per the Indian Institute of Human Brands’ Celebrity Compensation report, 64 percent of advertisers surveyed said that celebrity endorsement fees are likely to reduce in view of the Coronavirus lockdown.
The report tells that 22 percent of advertisers want top celebrities such as Virat, Rohit, Dhoni and Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt to take a massive 20-30 percent pay cut. Only four percent of the brands that surveyed want endorsement fees to fall by more than 50 percent.
The report further claims that more than half of the brands still want a celebrity to promote their products, while a similar number of brands are willing to endorse their products through cricketers if the IPL does not happen this year.
(Inputs from republicworld.com)