MUMBAI: Indian cricket’s latest blue-eyed boy, Shubman Gill, is the new favourite with brands. His stellar performance in the India-England Test series, both as captain and batsman, had already bolstered his brand value. Now, Gill’s selection for the Asia Cup as vice-captain will only give further impetus to his brand equity. A Gen Z with much of his career ahead of him, Gill has all the chops a brand looks for. “Gill’s brand value has appreciated by 30%-40% post the India-England series. His brand fees will increase anywhere in the range of 25%-50% depending on the kind of brand approaching him,” Neeraj Jha, senior sports analyst and commentator, told TOI.From automobiles to global luxury brands, queries for Gill have shot up from an average of three to four per month to about 10-15 now, sources aware of discussions said. Gill currently charges endorsement fees in the range of Rs 4-5 crore for one brand per year. That can now easily go up to anywhere between Rs 6-8 crore, said Neerav Tomar, managing director and CEO at IOS Sports. Another analyst said that a few of his earlier deals were in the range of Rs 2-Rs 3.5 crore. “Gill already endorses close to 20 brands, and this number should go up. Youthful brands will seek new faces. Gill is the new Virat Kohli,” Tomar said. Gill’s team, however, declined to comment.The cricketer bagged a few big deals before the Test series. Tyre major MRF and global eyewear brand Oakley (for India) signed Gill as their brand ambassadors. Gill also expanded his associations with Casio and Coca-Cola during the year. From about eight brand associations in 2023, Gill’s brand portfolio nearly doubled to 16 in 2025. The cricketer is estimated to have earned about Rs 40 crore in endorsement earnings in 2024.“A lot of MNCs are looking to sign Gill. Small brands can’t afford him. His fees will only go up if he keeps on delivering,” said Amitesh Shah, founder and CEO at sports, media, and entertainment company Legaxy, who estimates Gill’s brand value to see a boost of over 40%. Sources said that Gill is “selective” about his brand partnerships, ensuring alignment with his values and career journey.Going ahead, perenniality (ability to deliver across all cricket formats) will be key for Gill to bag big brand deals, said Sandeep Goyal, chairman at Redifussion. “Perenniality leads to continued visibility, which is key to the endorsement game,” said Goyal.
