Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli "dethroned Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to become the most valuable celebrity brand in the country" with a brand value of $144M, registering a growth of 56% from last year, according to the PTI. This increase "is primarily driven by his growing endorsement fees, on-field performances and rise in popularity index," according to the Duff & Phelps report, "Rise of the Millennials: India's Most Valuable Celebrity Brands." Duff & Phelps Managing Dir Varun Gupta said, "For the first time since we began publishing our rankings, Shah Rukh Khan has slipped from the top ranking and been replaced by Virat Kohli." Khan "slipped" to second place with a brand value of $106M, down by nearly 20% from '16, while actress Deepika Padukone, valued at $93M, remained in third place. Kohli endorses 20 brands as of October, while Khan and Padukone endorse 21 and 23, respectively. Badminton player PV Sindhu "is the first female sports personality to feature in the top 15 celebrities," occupying 15th place with a brand valuation of $15M. Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni "is the only other sports person to feature in the top 15 list, taking the 13th position" with a brand value of $21M (PTI, 12/20).
