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 "India wins T20 World Cup 2024")
India wins T20 World Cup 2024. Photo: X
From the famous bear hug of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the visible camaraderie between the teary-eyed boys of the Indian cricket team to the moment when the captain chose to do the vintage Ric Flair walk to collect the much-awaited T20 World Cup trophy against South Africa in Barbados- all the celebratory scenes are still etched in the minds of Indians, who shed tears of joy with their heroes and thronged the streets to welcome them home.
While Captain Rohit Sharma, 37, and Virat Kohli, 35, individually gathered a lot of eyeballs, it was the much awaited Ro-Ko moments that broke the internet. While Kohli, known for the most aggressive celebrations, shed a tear on every shoulder he leaned on, Sharma went to the pitch, picked up a speck of soil and ate it.
“I just felt like in the victory lap he (Sharma) was behind the whole time. I told him, you also hold the trophy for a while, for two minutes,” Kohli told the presenters while talking about the viral picture of the duo with the trophy.
As much as the World Cup celebrations and the bonhomie between the players is a fan’s delight, it is also a treat for the brands, which, experts feel, can cash in on the moment and come out with collaborative endorsements.
“Their (Sharma and Kohli) chemistry is organic and authentic, making them an appealing choice for collaborative endorsements,” says Rupesh Kashyap, Mumbai-based cultural strategist and brand creative director.
“Brands should embrace their creative impulses to craft compelling stories featuring both of them,” Kashyap adds.
Stuck in the cycle of leader-captain and captain-leader, the duo was never known for a camaraderie, in fact, otherwise. However, the World Cup win saw the two giants coming together. A viral video from the Indian team’s victory parade shows Kohli calling Sharma in the front. Another video that was widely shared on the internet was the duo breaking into dance as they lead the walk in Wankhede.
Business and brand strategy expert Harish Bijoor adds that when brands opt for Ro-Ko, they will get a value for three. “What they bring separately, and what they bring as a combination, it will be a lot for a brand,” says Bijoor.
Apart from the friendly moments shared between the two players, a hyperactive digital team was successful in keeping fans involved in the entire celebration.
“From Barbados to Wankhede, the aim was to capture all small moments,” a BCCI official told Business Standard on condition of anonymity.
“In December 2023, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had said that India will place the tri-colour in Barbados. So the picture of Sharma putting the flag was a special moment and we tried to capture it well,” he said, adding that celebrations are not planned in advance because it comes naturally to players, but we do try to capture all that we can.
Robin Sharma, a social media cricket content creator says, “Such events hold a lot of value for us. It gives a lot of moments to create relatable and engaging content”.
The video of the entire team syncing to the tunes of Vande Mataram at the Wankhede stadium was widely shared by many former cricketers and celebrities, who said the scenes recalled the 2011 World Cup victory walk.
Another viral video showed then head coach Rahul Dravid receiving the trophy from Kohli before opening into one of the most expressive celebrations of his career and being dodged up into the air with Kohli and Sharma standing on his side. The moments were many and so were the cameras and videos.
From Jasprit Bumrah’s spell to Suryakumar Yadav’s catch, match winners for India were many. The post victory videos, however, were largely dominated by Kohli, Sharma and Dravid, who announced their retirements and Hardik Pandya, who was celebrating the return of his long-lost glory.
Having been at the centre of controversy for replacing Sharma as a captain of Indian Premier League team Mumbai Indians and being trolled and booed by the fans, especially in Wankhede, for Pandya, 30, the win was rather personal.
“I haven’t spoken a word in the last six months,” an emotional Pandya said after winning the World Cup.
Talking about Pandya, former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta says, “Pandya was very mentally strong to not react wrongly. People should understand that this is the nature of franchise cricket.”
In a subtle approach of reply by Pandya and the Indian team, it was Pandya who led the team and the trophy after landing at the Mumbai airport. The same was done by Sharma at the Delhi airport.
“The scrutiny Pandya faced affected both his value and performance,” says Kashyap.
Bijoor adds that Panyda has been successful in restoring his brand image, and could also be better than ever.
“Brands should definitely explore the Rohit-Hardik partnership. It tells a compelling story,” Kashyap adds.
Picture of Pandya crying with Sharma consoling him has gained a lot of social media traction.
Besides cricket, the overall persona of players on field has an impact on their brand value, the experts point out.
Among the viral visuals was Kohli calling his family from the ground, Sharma carrying his daughter on his shoulders, Arshdeep Singh letting his parents pose with his medal, and Bumrah rushing to call his wife and son on the ground which resonated well with the fans.
“Even though these are natural instincts, it adds significantly to the goodwill,” Bijoor says. He adds that it creates a feeling of ‘I am him and he is me’ among the consumers.
First Published: Jul 14 2024 | 7:05 PM IST
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