The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced that Virat Kohli has decided to step down as captain of the T20I after the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2021.
"Kohli will continue to be available for selection for the T20 format post the upcoming ICC event in 2021, which is hosted by the BCCI in UAE and Oman," said BCCI statement.
In his statement, Kohli said, “I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team. Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket."
Kohli's decision is as surprising as MS Dhoni's unexpected move when he stepped down as the ODI and T20I captain of Indian cricket team in 2017.
Brand experts back then had estimated an impact on his brand value. At that time Dhoni was endorsing 15 brands including Orient Fans, Sony, Big Bazaar, TVS Motors and Videocon, among others.
Experts had pointed out then that some brands had started ending their association with Dhoni sensing the end of his career especially after his announcement of retirement from Test matches in 2014.
The biggest brand deal Dhoni had lost was when Pepsi had ended their 11-year association with Dhoni in 2016. Other brands that had ended association with the cricketer included Cello, Aircel, Titan, GE Money, Amarpali, Big Bazaar, Dabur Honey and Boost.
According to 2016 Forbes’ annual Fab 40 list, Dhoni’s brand value had dropped from USD 21 million in 2015 to USD 11 million in 2016. The cricketer's rank had slipped from five to 10 that year.
Currently, MS Dhoni's brand value stands at USD 36.3 million, according to Duff & Phelps 2020 report.
Dhoni's rank fell from nine in 2019 to rank 11 last year.
But when it comes to cricket celebrities, after Kohli it is Dhoni that comes next in the top celebrities in terms of brand value.
Like Dhoni whether Virat Kohli will see an impact on his brand value that only time will tell.
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