Former Indian captain and President of Cricket Association of Bengal Sourav Ganguly has become the highest paid endorser among the retired cricketers, as he endorses eight brands and charges between INR 1 to INR 1.5 crore for a 4-5 day engagement a year.

The reports of rediff.com stated that the prince of Kolkata beat his former teammate Sachin Tendulkar and ranks third on the list of (playing) cricketer-endorsers, even though his fees is comparatively lower than Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, who charge between INR 8 to 12 crore a year.

Dada endorses both regional and national brands, which includes smart phones, laptops and tea. His popularity, especially in Bengal, has attracted brands to think about him as a trendy choice.

He has become the face of DTDC's latest campaigns as well Tata's Tetley brand for its green tea. He has been associated with Essilor lens, Senco Gold and Burnpur Cement among others for a while currently. He is also the face of several real estate projects in West Bengal, which shows that he has managed to live in the limelight even after his retirement from cricket.

Indranil Das Blah, partner and COO at CAA KWAN, a sports and celebrity management company, told rediff.com about Ganguly's popularity, "Ganguly didn't go into hibernation. Even after he retired from the IPL, he was involved through the CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) and anchored TV shows. In Bengal he is as popular as some of the biggest movie stars from the state, so he makes sense for a lot of brands (to want to hire him)."

Ganguly also a popular face among several Bengali shows like Dadagiri (Zee Bangla) and a Bengali adaptation of the popular Kaun Banega Crorepati. These shows have been helpful in increasing his popularity and national demand.

Sushant Dash, regional president (India), Tata Global Beverages, also stated about Dada, "Sourav has been an exceptional sportsperson. Today, even though he is not an active sportsperson, he still faces the pressure of 'super human' expectations that people have. We are also doing print ads and are exploring on-ground activation as well."

Although Kapoor believes that Ganguly will remain a brand for years to come but Dash seems to be different. Dash said "It is quite clear he is serious about a career in cricket administration. If that is the case, once he is part of the BCCI, he won't be able to endorse a lot of brands if there is a conflict of interest. So like they say, he should make hay while the sun shines."