Legendary cricketer Virat Kohli ranks first in the list of India’s most valuable celebrities, with his brand value estimated to be ₹3,542 crore. Meanwhile, Shahrukh Khan stands at second spot with Priyanka Chopra placed at third place.
Fortune India, in collaboration with global brand consulting firm Interbrand, researched the country’s 25 most valuable celebrities. The top 10 include 3 cricketers and 7 film personalities.
Priyanka tops among women
Among female celebrities, Priyanka Chopra topped the list. Moreover, Deepika Padukone, Rashmika Mandanna, Kriti Sanon, Indian women’s cricketer Smriti Mandhana, and South Indian actress Nayanthara also found a place.
Diljit, Dhoni, and Ganguly also among most valuable celebrities
The list also includes names like Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Johar, Sourav Ganguly, and Vicky Kaushal. The Fortune India-Interbrand list is a testament to the immense popularity of films and cricket in India. Most of the country’s most valuable celebrities come from the film industry. Cricket holds the second position. These are the two sectors that see the most celebrity brands.
Fortune India magazine cover for Virat Kohli (Credits: X)
Focus on earnings, followers, and box office hits
In this study, to determine brand value, attention was paid to several other factors beyond celebrities’ earnings, followers, or box office success. This included aspects that determine brand strength, such as distinctiveness, coherence, engagement, trust, intimacy, and responsibility, which together determine their final brand value.
Virat Kohli is also the richest IPL player
Virat Kohli is at number 1 in the list of the richest players in the IPL. He has been continuously playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since 2008 and has received a salary of ₹230 crore till now. Virat is also the biggest star of the league in terms of brand value.
As per the Fanatic Sports and Hurun India list, former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is at number two with earnings of ₹227.2 crore. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK)’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in third place with a salary of ₹200 crore. Dhoni is still a big commercial icon of Indian cricket and IPL, even though he has not played any matches in the IPL 2026 season to date.
In women’s cricket, Smriti Mandhana is at the top with earnings of ₹13.7 crore. The total earnings of the country’s top 10 women cricketers are ₹90 crore, which is less than half of Virat Kohli’s IPL earnings of ₹230 crore. In other sports, this gap is even wider.
