PepsiCo has signed cricketer Hardik Pandya to endorse its sports drink Gatorade, making him the first cricketer to do so. Previously, Gatorade was associated with badminton player PV Sindhu and javelin star Neeraj Chopra.
PepsiCo India associate director of hydration and energy Ankit Agarwal stated that the partnership with Pandya will "deepen the brand's connection with the sports, fitness, and active-lifestyle community."
A number of brands are associated with the cricketer. According to Kroll, a brand valuation and analytics firm, the cricketer's brand value in 2022 will be $34.8 million.
The IMARC group estimated the domestic sports and energy drink market in 2022 to be worth US$ 2.7 billion. This market is expected to reach US$ 5.7 billion by 2028, according to the group.
Companies have increased their presence in the category in response. According to industry executives, Reliance Consumer Products, which recently launched the cricket-themed lemon-flavored carbonated Campa Cricket, plans to launch a sports drink as well.
Rival Coca-Cola has announced a partnership with the upcoming ICC World Cup for its hydration drink Limca Sportz as the tournament's official sports drink partner. Amul is also increasing the visibility of its sports drink through multi-media campaigns.