Photo via Hindustan Times

Shubman Gill beats Cristiano Ronaldo in marketability rankings; Kohli, Rohit miss top-50

Shubman Gill has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian athlete in the 2026 SportsPro marketability index, securing the 13th position. This placement puts him ahead of global football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

While Gill leads a group of five Indian cricketers in the top 50, established stars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni have fallen outside this elite bracket, currently ranking 85th, 90th, and 83rd respectively. Other Indian cricketers making the cut include Rishabh Pant at 36th, Jemimah Rodrigues at 31st, Smriti Mandhana at 37th, and Jasprit Bumrah at 39th.

Aryna Sabalenka holds the top spot on the overall list, which evaluates athletes based on brand equity, momentum, and commercial trajectory.

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