Gill emerges as cricket's most marketable athlete, outranking Kohli and Rohit

Shubman Gill has claimed the distinction of being cricket's most marketable athlete in SportPro's latest global rankings, a significant milestone for the Indian batter who continues to establish himself as a leading commercial figure in international sport. The 2026 assessment places Gill ahead of several established names in the sport, reflecting his growing prominence both on and off the field.

The SportPro methodology for compiling the marketable athletes list incorporates three key metrics: brand equity, momentum and commercial trajectory. These factors assess an athlete's current market value, trajectory in building commercial partnerships, and overall appeal to sponsors and brands seeking endorsement opportunities.

Notably absent from the top 50 are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two of Indian cricket's biggest names and traditional powerhouses in global rankings. The exclusion underscores the dynamic nature of athlete marketability, which extends beyond international performance to encompass factors such as social media presence, brand partnerships, demographic appeal and emerging market opportunities.

Gill's ascendancy reflects the broader shift in how commercial value is assessed in modern sports, with younger athletes increasingly capturing sponsors' attention through digital engagement and appeal to newer consumer segments. His emergence as cricket's leading commercial entity in the rankings represents a generational transition in the sport's marketability landscape.

The ranking highlights the evolving commercial dynamics within Indian cricket and international sports more broadly, where traditional hierarchies continue to be challenged by emerging talent with strong market positioning.