A 3-yr-old partnership comes to an end: Kohli, Tissot part ways

Swiss watchmaker Tissot’s contract with Virat Kohli has ended, according to the cricketer’s manager Bunty Sajdeh.

“His (Kohli’s) contract with Tissot ended on 31 July,” Sajdeh said in a Whatsapp message, in response to a query from ET Panache after Kohli was recently seen wearing another brand.

Horology lovers noted that Kohli – who was the Tissot brand ambassador since 2016 - was flaunting a different watch in recent weeks, including at a sports awards function in Mumbai a few days ago. When ET Panache contacted Tissot to understand if Kohli was allowed to wear other timepieces occasionally, the latter suggested speaking to Kohli’s team instead. Subsequently, Sajdeh said that Kohli and Tissot were no longer in a contract.

The 30-year-old Kohli was the only Indian in this year’s Forbes List of highest paid athletes, with an estimated annual income of $25 million from cricket and endorsements. The batsman's enviable endorsement portfolio includes deals with the likes of Uber, Puma, MRF and Philips India. It allows him the luxury to be choosy about brand associations.

In 2017, Kohli famously decided against renewing his contract with Pepsi because he did not want to promote cola, a drink associated with health risks.