Brands shifting to younger talent
Advertisers are moving endorsement money toward emerging IPL players, with reported short‑term deals in the Rs 1–5 crore band for names like Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma. (storyboard18.com). Industry surveys and outlooks also report a strong tilt toward experiential and event spend in 2026, with a large share of marketers increasing event budgets this year. ( ).
Brands in the Indian Premier League are shifting endorsement budgets toward younger cricketers, betting on lower-cost deals and stronger digital pull during the 2026 season. (storyboard18.com) Storyboard18 reported on April 15 that players such as Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma are drawing average endorsement deals of about ₹50 lakh to ₹1.5 crore, while Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma still command about ₹6 crore to ₹8 crore. (storyboard18.com) The same report said the spending mix has changed: where 70% to 80% of budgets once went to a handful of stars, it is now closer to 50% to 60%, with more money spread across emerging players. (storyboard18.com) That shift has been building for months. The Economic Times reported in October 2025 that Shubman Gill was nearing ₹5 crore for a single day of engagement, Suryakumar Yadav about ₹1.5 crore per day, and Tilak Varma about ₹1 crore for a two-day association as advertisers looked for younger faces after format retirements by Kohli and Rohit Sharma. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The 2026 tournament is giving brands a live stage to test those bets. The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the first phase of the 2026 Indian Premier League on March 11, with the season starting March 28, and the official league site lists the tournament running through May 31. (iplt20.com; ipl.com) The appeal is not only price. Storyboard18 said brands are using younger players to reach consumers across digital video, social media and direct-to-consumer categories, with examples including Foxtale’s tie-up with Tilak Varma, Complan’s link with Vaibhav Suryavanshi and DP World’s association with Abhishek Sharma. (storyboard18.com) Marketing budgets are also moving toward live experiences around sport. Event Marketer’s EventTrack 2026, based on more than 1,000 Fortune 1000 marketers and attendees, said 57% of business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketers plan to increase event attendance in 2026 and 61% of consumers are more inclined to buy after an event. (eventmarketer.com) That lines up with a sponsorship market still expanding. An April 2026 sports sponsorship industry outlook projected the global market at $122.13 billion in 2025 and $131.62 billion in 2026, with brands increasing spend on events, teams and athlete partnerships. (openpr.com) The old hierarchy has not disappeared. Storyboard18 said Kohli, Dhoni and Rohit Sharma still dominate the endorsement economy, but brands now appear more willing to split one marquee budget across several younger names and the events built around them. (storyboard18.com)
