Playing the long game: Sachin continues to score for brands 13 years after his last innings

Wednesday 9 September 2026

Playing the long game: Sachin continues to score for brands 13 years after his last innings

More than a decade after his final innings, cricket great Sachin Tendulkar continues to remain at the top of his commercial game, becoming even more valuable to brands in retirement, a feat few athletes in the world can lay claim to.

India’s most valuable celebrity rankings released by Kroll last month featured a familiar name climbing higher despite not having played professional cricket in nearly 13 years. Tendulkar’s brand value rose 12.2 percent to $125.9 million in 2025, pushing him from fifth to fourth place among India’s most valuable celebrity brands.

Playing on front foot

In a list dominated by active Bollywood stars and current sporting icons, Tendulkar, who made his international debut at 16 and went on to rewrite the record books in a 24-year-long career, stands apart as the only retired athlete consistently holding a place among the country’s top celebrity brands.

According to Kroll, his endorsement portfolio expanded by roughly 20 percent year-on-year to more than 25 associations, while his social media reach crossed 125 million.

“Sachin Tendulkar is a strong example of how longevity, trust and credibility can sustain celebrity brand value well beyond an athlete’s active sporting career,” said Umakanta Panigrahi, managing director, valuation advisory services, Kroll.

In an endorsement market increasingly obsessed with viral moments, younger influencers and short attention spans, Tendulkar continues to command attention from brands ranging from agriculture and tyres to fintech, automobiles and consumer products.

“What continues to work strongly for Sachin is his cross-generational recognition and high level of consumer trust. For brands, particularly those looking for credibility and long-term association rather than just short-term visibility, that remains extremely valuable,” Panigrahi said.

That trust factor has become particularly important for companies operating outside glamour categories.

Agriculture-focused SML recently signed Tendulkar as its brand ambassador. For a company selling plant nutrition products through a network of about 18,000 dealers and more than a million farmers, the choice was less about celebrity appeal and more about credibility.

“At the corporate level, people view it as a masterstroke. In rural markets, Sachin’s presence has created curiosity, excitement and goodwill toward the brand,” SML managing director Bimal Shah said.

For Apollo Tyres, which has worked with Tendulkar since 2018, the attraction was rooted in shared positioning.

“As an Indian company that expanded globally, Apollo saw a natural connection with Sachin, who put India on the global sporting map,” said Remus D’Cruz, Head of Global Brand Strategy at Apollo Tyres.

His values, authenticity and genuine passion for automobiles make the association even stronger., D’Cruz added. “During some of our shoots, he has driven the vehicles himself rather than relying on stunt drivers. That authenticity resonates with consumers, dealers and business partners.”

The company says Tendulkar’s influence extends beyond advertising campaigns. Dealer events featuring the cricket legend continue to draw strong participation, while consumer studies show a high affinity for him among premium passenger vehicle buyers and rural customers.

Post-retirement playbook

What also separates Tendulkar from many celebrity endorsers is the perception that he remains closely involved with the businesses he backs.

That shift is increasingly visible in his newer associations, where he is moving beyond endorsements and into investment and operating roles.

His portfolio now spans investments in companies such as Zepto, Spinny and Truzon Solar. In several cases, including Spinny, Kissht and Sugar.Fit, the relationship combines brand endorsement with strategic investment.

At sportswear startup Ten X You, Tendulkar’s role runs even deeper. He is the company’s largest shareholder and participates in product development.

“Even today, I speak with him multiple times a week. He tests every product, evaluates comfort levels and provides detailed feedback,” Ten X You co-founder and CEO Karthik Gurumurthy said.

Gurumurthy recalled Tendulkar suggesting that the company study tennis footwear while designing a cricket shoe because of the sport’s lateral movement patterns — an insight that eventually influenced product development.

The evolution reflects how Brand Sachin has changed over the years.

His commercial journey began with a Band-Aid advertisement in 1989. It accelerated in 2001 when his Rs 100-crore deal with WorldTel became one of the most significant endorsement contracts in Indian sport, establishing him as a commercial force beyond cricket.

Twenty-five years later, that brand remains remarkably resilient.

His endorsement roster today ranges from long-standing partners such as Apollo Tyres, Luminous, Livpure, DP World and Tanishq to newer-age brands including Reddit, Spinny, Kissht and Häfele.