Kohli and Dhoni are invincible: T20 World Cup heroes are set for endorsement boom, but can't touch the veterans

Biggest stars from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory, like Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, are set for a massive commercial windfall as their popularity hits a crescendo after a memorable win in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Yet, these new-age stars may not have what it takes to leave behind the OGs, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.

Already a massively popular figure due to his humbleness and gritty cricketing story, Samson won the Player of the tournament after hitting three 'daddy' fifties in India's last three matches, including the semi-final and the final. He has also been picked in the T20 World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament alongside Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.

The social media success of Samson and Bumrah is proof of how popular they have become after the heroics in the T20 World Cup.

Samson, Bumrah set for multiple new brand partnerships

Kerala’s Samson registered 5.2 million social media mentions during the T20 World Cup 2026, while Jasprit Bumrah generated 4.6 million mentions. Samson’s match-winning knock of 97 not out in the must-win clash against West Indies generated 86 million social media engagements. Bumrah’s four-wicket haul in the final recorded 62 million engagements.

Anirudh Sridharan, co-founder of influencer marketing platform HashFame, feels that Samson would soon add six to ten new brand partnerships over the next year as brands rush.

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“Brands love the ‘new hero’ narrative and want to lock it in before the next cricket cycle resets the conversation,” Sridharan told Moneycontrol.

Nikhil Bardia, head of the talent management company RISE Worldwide that takes care of Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah’s brand portfolio, said that a World Cup generally leads to a 35–55 percent endorsement rise for the top performers.

“Winning back-to-back World Cups is extraordinary and winning one on home soil makes it unforgettable. For brands, that distinction matters enormously, Bardia added.

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Moneycontrol has also revealed that Suryakumar charges an estimated endorsement fee of about Rs 2.5 crore per day, while Pandya commands an average endorsement value of Rs 2.5 crore per deal.

Indranil Blah, founder of sports talent management firm AMP Sports, feels the top performers and most-known players can expect a minimum of 10-5% rise in their endorsement value.

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Interestingly, Samson, Kishan, Bumrah, Syuryakumar and Pandya may still not manage to beat Kohli, Dhoni and Rohit Sharma’s brand values despite being part of a historic T20 World Cup-winning campaign.

Kohli and Dhoni miles ahead of new-age stars

Batting superstar Virat Kohli commands a brand value of $231.1 million, according to Kroll’s celebrity valuation rankings. India’s two-time World Cup-winning captain Dhoni is valued at around $102.9 million among India’s most valuable sports celebrities, while Rohit stands at $48.4 million.

The Pandyas and Bumrahs are still quite far. Pandya has a brand value of $43.1 million, while Bumrah’s popularity is pegged at $38.1 million.

If anything, the data shows that Samson, Kishan, Pandya and Bumrah have a long way to go before they become an everlasting success like King Kohli and Thala Dhoni.

Power. Precision. Perfection.
Only with the Philips All-in-One Trimmer.#Philipsallinone #Trimmer #Sharpfinish #Precision #Beard #Ad pic.twitter.com/VVWi7dtRBv

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 12, 2025

Dhoni and Kohli live rent-free in the minds of Indian fans due to their long, successful careers, and that is why they command such a huge value.

“The top tier in cricket—Kohli and Dhoni—have built their brand value over years of consistent performance,” Blah said. “Brands value long-term credibility. A single tournament or even a great Indian Premier League (IPL) season isn’t enough.”

That’s the secret to becoming permanent, and that must be the next target for the 2026 T20 World Cup winners.