Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket nearly 13 years ago, but the legend’s commercial appeal has shown little sign of slowing down. With a brand value of $125.9 million, Sachin continues to stand alongside India’s biggest active sporting and Bollywood celebrities.
Sachin Tendulkar may have walked away from cricket in 2013, but retirement clearly did not apply to Brand Sachin.
More than a decade after his final international appearance, the former India batting great continues to attract major brands, command enormous public trust and remain one of the most valuable sporting personalities in the country. In fact, his latest brand valuation shows that the Master Blaster is still playing a very different kind of innings—and he is doing it without picking up a bat.
According to the latest Kroll Most Valuable Celebrity Brands ranking, Sachin Tendulkar’s brand value rose by 12.2% to $125.9 million. That growth helped him move from fifth place to fourth in the ranking.
What makes his position particularly interesting is the company he is keeping.
Shah Rukh Khan leads the list with a brand value of $177.9 million, followed by Ranveer Singh at $162.9 million and Virat Kohli at $158.4 million. Sachin, at $125.9 million, sits just behind Kohli.
The numbers tell an interesting story. Kohli is still actively involved in professional cricket and remains one of the world’s biggest sports personalities. Sachin, meanwhile, has been retired for around 13 years. Yet the gap between the two in brand value is not as enormous as one might expect.
That is perhaps the biggest compliment to Sachin’s enduring popularity.
Sachin’s brand has outlived his cricket career
For most athletes, retirement can bring a sharp decline in commercial interest. The equation is fairly simple: fewer matches mean less visibility, and less visibility can eventually mean fewer endorsements.
Sachin has managed to avoid that trap.
His appeal today is not built solely around the runs he scored or the records he accumulated. It is also about the trust he developed over decades with Indian audiences.
From children who watched him dominate bowlers in the 1990s to fans who grew up watching his final Test match, Sachin has managed to remain relevant across generations.
His endorsement portfolio has reportedly grown by around 20% in a year, with the former India captain now associated with more than 25 brands. His social-media reach also extends to more than 125 million people, giving brands access to an enormous audience.
And unlike the fast-moving world of social media influencers, Sachin’s biggest asset may be something much harder to manufacture—credibility.
A viral post might disappear from people’s timelines within hours. Sachin’s reputation has been built over decades.
That distinction matters to companies.
From premium brands to India’s rural markets
One of the most interesting aspects of Sachin’s current brand portfolio is its diversity.
He is not restricted to luxury products, sportswear or glamorous advertising campaigns. His image is also being used by companies that want to establish trust among customers outside India’s major cities.
Agricultural company SML, for example, recently appointed Sachin as its brand ambassador. The company has a network of around 18,000 dealers and reaches more than one million farmers.
For a brand operating in such a market, the choice of celebrity is not simply about fame. The personality needs to connect with people who may not necessarily follow every celebrity trend on social media.
Sachin’s reputation as a disciplined and respected sportsman gives him an advantage here.
It is almost the opposite of the usual celebrity endorsement strategy. Instead of asking, “Who is trending today?”, brands can ask, “Who will people trust tomorrow?”
Sachin fits that second category rather comfortably.
His association with Apollo Tyres goes back to 2018
Sachin has also maintained a long-running relationship with Apollo Tyres, having been associated with the company since 2018.
For Apollo Tyres, Sachin represents more than his cricketing achievements. The company has positioned him as a symbol of Indian identity, reliability and global reach.
Interestingly, Sachin’s interest in automobiles has also played a role in the partnership. During some advertising shoots, he has reportedly driven vehicles himself, bringing a more personal element to the campaigns.
That may sound like a small detail, but authenticity is increasingly valuable in advertising.
Consumers can usually tell when a celebrity is simply reading a script. Sachin’s long association with the products and his genuine interest in automobiles make the partnership feel more natural.
And that is one reason his endorsements have continued well beyond his playing career.
Sachin is no longer just an endorser
There is another major difference between Sachin’s post-retirement career and the traditional celebrity endorsement model.
He is not merely putting his face on advertisements.
Sachin has increasingly moved into the world of business investments and strategic partnerships. His investment portfolio has included names such as Zepto, Spinny and Truzon Solar, while his association with companies such as Spinny, Kissht and Sugar.Fit has involved both endorsement and investment.
In other words, the former cricketer has gradually moved from being the face of a brand to becoming financially involved with some businesses.
That is a significant evolution.
The celebrity endorsement model says, “Pay me to promote your product.”
The investor model says, “I believe in this business enough to put my money and reputation behind it.”
Sachin appears to be increasingly operating in the second space.
With Ten X You, Sachin gets closer to the product
His involvement with sportswear startup Ten X You takes that approach even further.
Sachin is reportedly one of the company’s biggest shareholders and is also involved in product development.
According to the company, he personally uses products to assess their comfort and fit and provides feedback to the team.
That involvement reportedly even influenced the design thinking behind cricket footwear. While discussing cricket shoes, Sachin suggested looking at tennis footwear because tennis players frequently make sideways movements—something that can also be useful for cricketers.
That is a very Sachin-like approach: less celebrity photo opportunity, more attention to the tiny details.
After all, this is someone who spent more than two decades obsessing over batting technique. Apparently, retirement did not cure him of the habit of examining equipment closely.
The commercial journey started way back in 1989
Sachin’s brand story did not begin after retirement. It started alongside his cricket career.
His first advertisement was reportedly for Band-Aid in 1989, around the beginning of his international career.
Then came a landmark deal with WorldTel in 2001, reportedly worth around ₹100 crore. That agreement helped establish Sachin as one of India’s biggest commercial sporting personalities.
More than two decades later, the list of brands associated with his name remains impressive.
Long-standing associations have included Apollo Tyres, Luminous, Livpure, DP World and Tanishq, while newer additions and business relationships have included names such as Reddit, Spinny, Kissht and Häfele.
The mix itself explains why Sachin’s brand has remained so durable.
He can represent nostalgia without appearing stuck in the past. He can appeal to older fans who watched him play and younger audiences who know him primarily as a cricket icon.
That is a rare combination.
Sachin vs Virat: Different generations, same commercial power
The comparison with Virat Kohli is particularly fascinating.
Kohli currently holds a brand value of $158.4 million, putting him third in Kroll’s ranking. Sachin’s $125.9 million places him fourth.
Kohli’s advantage comes from his enormous visibility as an active cricketer, his social-media dominance and his extensive commercial portfolio. Sachin, however, is proving that an athlete does not necessarily need to be playing international cricket to remain commercially powerful.
Their brands represent two different generations of Indian cricket.
Kohli is the modern, highly visible global sports superstar. Sachin is the enduring icon whose reputation has accumulated over decades.
And with only around $32.5 million separating their reported brand valuations, the gap is surprisingly narrow considering Sachin retired more than a decade ago.
That may ultimately be the most remarkable part of the story.
Sachin Tendulkar’s cricket career ended in 2013. His commercial innings clearly did not.
The bat may have been put away, but Brand Sachin is still scoring runs—and, judging by the latest numbers, it is still capable of hitting a few sixes.
