Indian Cricket Players Who Promoted Drinking

Cricket players primarily make money from brand endorsements and marketing. The majority of these players have enormous social media followings and are revered by the fans as demigods. Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, is followed by more than 100 million people across all the leading social media platforms. Due to their outstanding social media influence, brands have paid these cricketers millions of dollars to represent them. Nowadays, almost every professional cricketer promotes at least one company. These cricketers have also starred in several contentious commercials in the past. While most cricketers work with almost every type of brand, some have boldly promoted alcohol brands.

In this article, we will take a look at the top 3 Indian cricket players who have promoted drinking as a part of their whopping brand endorsement deals.

Harbhajan Singh

One of the best off-spin bowlers, Harbhajan Singh Plaha, has represented India in all forms of cricket. The player is affectionately referred to by a variety of names, including Bhajji, The Turbanator, Bhajju Pa, etc., because of his exceptional exploits and commitment to Indian cricket. According to records, Harbhajan has taken the second-most Test wickets in history by an off-spinner. Harbhajan Singh is expected to have a net worth of $12.5 million in 2021. He is also well-known for charging upwards of Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 lakhs for brand endorsements. Among the companies Harbhajan has promoted are Brune and Bareskin, Ebikego, Fan2Play and many others. Harbhajan Singh has brazenly promoted alcoholic beverages and played a significant role in Seagram’s Royal Stag advertising campaign. A well-known whisky brand in India that was first introduced in 1995 is called Seagram’s Royal Stag. This whisky is a blend of imported Scotch malts and grain spirits, and it is the first Indian whisky to be made without the use of artificial flavour. In 2000, Pernod Ricard and Diageo bought Seagrams.

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni has so many endorsements under his belt that it would take him time to remember and list each one by name. Rock-star levels of popularity surround Dhoni in India. His image is in such high demand that even he occasionally finds himself shocked to discover a product promoted by him. MS Dhoni took a shocking decision to promote McDowells and faced backlash from his fans around the country. The Tamil Nadu-based Pasumai Thayagam, a Pattali Makkal Katchi affiliate, organised a protest against the Indian team captain before the Chennai Super Kings’ fourth IPL match against the Rajasthan Royals at MA Chidambaram Stadium. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his childhood friends appear in a commercial for McDowell’s No. 1 Soda that attempts to capture the true friendly chemistry between the three of them when they reflect on their years spent together and continue to celebrate the essence of friendship through the use of the tagline No. 1 Yaari.

Virat Kohli

The skipper of the Indian national cricket team is Virat Kohli, one of the most alluring individuals and batsmen of our day. Virat Kohli has a lengthy list of brand sponsorships. On August 18, 2008, he played in his debut international match against Sri Lanka. He played against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 18, 2008, in his maiden IPL game. In December 2014, Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket, and Kohli was named India’s captain for the game’s longest format. Dhoni eventually decided to leave his position as skipper of the limited-overs team in January 2017. As a result, Kohli was given full control of the situation. Virat Kohli is the highest-paid cricketer when it comes to brand endorsements. He has promoted over 20 brands in his flourishing career. Virat Kohli has been associated with promoting an alcohol brand as well. In particular, Kohli-endorsed company Royal Challenge employs “surrogate advertising,” a technique in which prohibited products are promoted under the pretence of another product, just like many other alcohol firms.