Virat Kohli is one of the 10 most valued athletes in the world, and the only cricketer on the list: Forbes

Virat Kohli's brand persona is at an all-time high. The Indian cricket captain's phenomenal performance in the last two years could be one of the factors behind this rise. His clout on social media is enviable. Virat Kohli has created a ripple in the Indian advertising scenario as well with his association to some of the top brands across all genres. In fact, reports mention that Virat Kohli has not only overtaken former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on field but also off it as his brand value continue to soar.

Now, in a list released by Forbes, Virat Kohli has been named the 7th most valued athlete in the world. The list includes the names of some heavy weight such as Roger Federer, LeBron James, Usian Bolt and Christiano Ronaldo.

Valued at 14.5 million USD, Virat Kohli has even surpassed Argentine football superstar, Lionel Messi.

The list is here as follows:

1.    Roger Federer, Tennis,  37.2 million USD
2.    LeBron James, Basketball, 33.4 million USD
3.    Usain Bolt, Track and Field, 27 million USD
4.    Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, 21.5 million USD
5.    Phil Mickelson, Golf, 19.6 million USD
6.    Tiger Woods, Golf,  16.6 million USD
7.    Virat Kohli, Cricket, 14.5 million USD
8.    Rory McIlroy, Golf, 13.6 million USD
9.    Lionel Messi, Football, 13.5 million USD
10.    Stephen Curry, Basketball, 13.4 million USD

It must be mentioned that Virat Kohli is the only cricketer to make it to the list, while there are three golfers in the top 10.

There are however, no women athletes in the top 10, not even Serena Williams, who is widely considered to be one of the best athletes in the world.