Rising stars, rising value: Sai Sudharsan leads pack of new IPL talent gaining brand attention

Sai Sudharsan

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) shows not one but two common links between three players, Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans, Prasidh Krishna and Vaibhav Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals. One is each of them became Rs 10 lakh richer after the IPL award ceremony and the other is their strong performance during the league has opened up their innings in the endorsement business.

Strong IPL performances can immediately bump up a player’s perceived brand value, especially for someone like Sai Sudharsan, who has been consistent across seasons and now has national team exposure, said Abhishek Sharma, Managing Director, ISG, a sports management company, adding that in such players brands see reliability.

Sai's success

Long-term deals, a minimum of three years, is what Indranil Blah, Founder, AMP Sports expects for emerging star Sudharsan.

"He is an all-format player and has got the technique for Test, ODIs (One Day Internationals) and T20s. None of the other emerging guys have what Sai Sudharsan has. Plus, he's just been picked in the Indian team for England as well," Blah said.

Talent managers expect categories like fantasy sports, tyre manufacturing brands to brand sport deals in the range of Rs 50-60 lakh for Sudharsan and beverage brands like Pepsi or Redbull offer deals worth Rs 20-30 lakh.

"Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna are now playing international cricket. For them, there is going to be a lot of interest from brands because they are performing across formats," said Anant Arora, Founder, OneByTwo Entertainment.

Limited market

However, Blah sees no endorsement market for Krishna. "Unfortunately for bowlers, it's a very limited market. The only one who broke the mould is (Jasprit) Bumrah."

Sharma noted that most of the emerging cricket talent don’t have a deep endorsement portfolio currently. "We expect them to sign 2–3 new deals each over the next few months, especially during the festive and World Cup lead-up period," he added.

Emerging players usually begin with a bare minimum of brand associations, typically in local markets or smaller digital-only campaigns, said Neerav Tomar, founder and managing director of IOS Sports. "For instance, someone like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who is just 14, is likely still building his brand story. Post-IPL, if leveraged well with good PR (public relation) and agency backing, he could add 3-5 new brands within a year, especially if he is retained ahead of the next season."

On the other hand, Arora thinks that at 14, Suryavanshi should just enjoy his cricket. "Brand building exercises can wait for now and maybe later these conversations can be picked up. I don't think he (Suryavanshi) is out there in the market in terms of signing brands because it won't be the right approach for him now."

Building on Tomar's point about emerging players seeing smaller brand associations, Sharma said that their endorsement base is fairly nascent with a couple of regional or start-up brand deals. "However, that’s changing quickly. A player like Sai Sudharsan may have 2–3 partnerships already, and could attract 4–6 brands in the next 6–9 months," he added.

Smaller deals

Tomar noted that brand deals for emerging IPL talent typically start in the range of Rs 10–25 lakh per endorsement annually, depending on their visibility and potential. "Players with strong regional following may negotiate higher for local campaigns. Multi-platform endorsements (TV + digital + social) may fetch them up to Rs 30–50 lakh, especially if they remain relevant over a year. One-off campaigns or social media-only deals could range from Rs 1–5 lakh per post/story for those with growing engagement," he added.

According to Sharma, emerging players typically command anywhere between Rs 15 to Rs 40 lakh per year per brand, depending on their on-field performance, social media reach, and regional influence. "If they maintain consistent form or break into the national team, that can quickly double. For one-off campaigns or digital-only associations, rates can start from Rs 5–10 lakh."

While it is a player's strong form that brings him in the limelight, IPL as a platform acts as a catalyst in bringing brand attention.

IPL a launchpad

Many players playing domestic cricket despite performing well don't get noticed but a league like this gives them the right platform, said Arora. "Through the IPL, people start noticing the young talent. Performing in IPL is performing in a competitive tournament, which is probably more competitive than anything else out there in terms of league cricket. And this gives players more confidence. Plus, they are exposed to a lot of internal brand shoots for their teams and that gives them confidence too."

IPL is arguably the most powerful springboard for brand endorsements in Indian cricket, especially for emerging players, Tomar noted.

"Every game is nationally broadcast and reaches millions, ensuring instant brand recall if a player performs well. Players who have emotional or inspirational stories are especially appealing, like Rinku Singh’s rise to prominence for instance. Moreover, many brand managers and agencies now rely on real-time dashboards and analytics to track on-field metrics (strike rate, wickets, clutch moments) along with social media performance. In short, brands do track IPL performances closely, and the tournament serves as both a launchpad and litmus test for commercial appeal."

Sharma calls IPL an audition for selectors, brands and marketing heads.

"IPL is the single biggest marketing platform for Indian cricketers outside the national team. Every innings, every celebration, every camera moment is being tracked. Brands today use a mix of performance data, fan engagement, and digital impressions to shortlist talent. A breakout IPL can put a player in the spotlight overnight," Sharma said.

In IPL 2025, several young talents turned heads with their consistent performances and impactful presence under pressure, Tomar added.

"A strong IPL performance typically has a direct positive impact on a player’s brand valuation, especially if it includes match-winning knocks, consistency, or viral moments (like a last-ball six or an inspired comeback from injury). For example, Sai Sudharsan, with his composed batting and consistency at the top, is likely to see an uptick in both regional and national brand interest, especially from southern brands."

Along with fresh talent like Suryavanshi, Sudharsan, and Krishna, Sharma said that names like Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Yadav, and Shashank Singh are certainly being watched closely by brands and agencies.