Bengaluru: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not played for India since the ICC World Cup 2019 in July last year. But that has not stopped him from hogging the limelight and has edged Indian captain Virat Kohli to be at the top. Here is how.

Dhoni has not only left Kohli behind but also Bollywood’s superstars, when it comes to brand endorsements in the country.

Also read: Virat Kohli ends year on top of the world

The 38-year-old Dhoni endorses 44 brands, the most among sports and Bollywood stars, according to a report published today (January 7) in The Economic Times. Kohli endorses 43 brands while Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has 30 to his name.

When it comes to the number of hours the celebrities are seen across TV channels per day, Akshay tops with 17 hours. Dhoni and Kohli both are at 12 hours per day.

Among Bollywood stars, Amitabh Bachchan tops the list with 40 brands. The next best is Ranveer Singh with 35.

All the stats are as per AdEx India, Tam Media Research and it is for the period January to November 2019.

What these statistics tell is that Dhoni is still the most popular face among cricketers when it comes to brand endorsements. Dhoni is not part of the Indian team but he still rules the advertisement space.

It is still not clear what Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Dhoni would do about his future. He had said that he will speak about it only in January 2020. The month has arrived and fans are waiting to hear from him.

With regard to Kohli, he continues to rule the cricket field. He has made it a habit to shatter records. Off the field too, he is the king, in brand endorsements. He will be seen in action in Indore on Tuesday (January 7) during the second T20I against Sri Lanka. The opening game of the three-match series was abandoned due to rain in Guwahati.

After the T20I rubber against Sri Lanka, India host Australia in three ODIs, starting on January 14 in Mumbai.