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Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni are some of the most famous cricketers in the world. Gill has been captaining the side and has been a fan favourite among the younger generation. Recently, in SportsPro's 2026 list of the 50 Most Marketable Athletes, five Indian cricketers were named, and Shubman Gill, along with two other Indian men’s cricketers, made the list.
The SportsPro Most Marketable Athletes is an annual ranking that identifies the 50 most commercially viable sports stars on the planet. It was first started back in 2010, and the 50MM evaluates future potential, brand fit, and digital-age influence. Surprisingly, Shubman Gill has been ranked above two of the greatest footballers of this generation, Cristiano Ronaldo (14th) and Lionel Messi (27th).
Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant ranks in top 50 SportsPro Most Marketable Athletes list
Five Indians have featured on the list, and interestingly, there is no Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or MS Dhoni in the top 50 list. Shubman Gill is one of the Indian men’s cricketers. This showcases his popularity among the younger generation and also his digital-age influence. Apart from him, it is Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant who are the two men’s cricketers to have made the list.
India's Women's ODI World Cup-winning side members, Jemimah Rodrigues (31st) and Smriti Mandhana (37th), are also in the top 50. Both are ranked higher than fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah (39th), while Rishabh Pant is 36th. Shubman Gill is the highest-ranked Indian at 13th. These five cricketers are the only Indian cricketers in the top 50.
How SportsPro Most Marketable Athletes being calculated?
Each athlete was awarded a score out of 100 across three key pillars: Brand Equity (45 points), which measures the strength, trust, and reach of the athlete’s brand; Momentum (40 points), which assesses how quickly their brand value is growing; and Commercial Trajectory (15 points), which evaluates their potential for future growth.
SportsPro takes into consideration 1,202 athletes across 70 sports before shortlisting to 247 for an in-depth analysis. The examination included 27 marketability variables, hundreds of data points per athlete, and over 3,000 brand partnership records; it covers audience size, search demand, media sentiment, and new commercial deals.
Is Virat Kohli a part of SportsPro's Most Marketable Athletes list?
Previously, back in 2014, Virat Kohli was the only Indian on the list, ranked behind Lewis Hamilton. Kevin Pietersen was the only other cricketer to feature back in the year. In 2016, Kohli moved to third.
Both Kohli and Rohit featured in the top-50 last year, but this year they have slipped to 85th and 90th, respectively. Dhoni is ranked 83rd. Though their popularity is not defined by the 50MM list, they are still very loved and known by the whole world.
Shubman Gill reaches New Zealand for ODIs and Test
Shubman Gill has reached New Zealand for the five-match ODI series and the two Test matches. This is a crucial series for the team India captain especially the Test matches as it would help them climb up the WTC table.
India did not do well in ODIs, as the bowling department is the second worst in terms of death bowling, and the inexperienced attack has been lacking the control that is needed in a 50-over format.
