Shubman Gill, MRF’s latest brand ambassador, marked his Test captaincy debut with a century on Friday (June 20). Here are other Indian cricketers who have wielded the iconic MRF bat.
MRF (Madras Rubber Factory), an Indian tire manufacturer established in 1946, has deep-rooted ties to cricket. The company operates the renowned MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, a premier fast-bowling academy that has trained legends like Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee and developed many renowned India fast bowlers. With the highest listed stock price in India, MRF was also a leading sponsor of the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
Beyond infrastructure, MRF’s cricketing legacy lives on through its iconic branding. The sight of their logo on bats, gloves, pads, and other equipment remains etched in fans’ memories, having sponsored some of the game’s greatest players.
Vjay Hazare, 1951 ✅
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 20, 2025
Sunil Gavaskar, 1976 ✅
Virat Kohli, 2014 ✅
Shubman Gill, TODAY ✅
He’s the fourth Indian to score a century in his first men’s Test innings as captain 🇮🇳#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/tm2r2Dclkc
Sachin Tendulkar
Tendulkar’s partnership with MRF stands as one of the most iconic in sporting history. Signed after the 1996 World Cup, their association became legendary – whether through his "Desert Storm" innings (1998) or his iconic 241 in the 2003-04 Sydney Test. Though the deal ended in 2009 (when Tendulkar switched to Adidas until his 2013 retirement), MRF’s association with the "Little Master" remains fresh in cricket fans’ memories.
Rohit Sharma
While most Indian batting greats peaked during their MRF associations, Rohit’s partnership with the brand came while he was still establishing himself in international cricket – a time when murmurs grew about his unfulfilled potential despite obvious promise.
Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir became MRF’s brand ambassador in 2009. His iconic 97 in the 2011 World Cup final prominently featured the MRF logo, and his two title-winning campaigns with Kolkata Knight Riders (2012 and 2014) were also played with an MRF bat.
Virat Kohli
Like the passing of the baton, Kohli – touted as Tendulkar’s heir as the next Indian batting great – landed a deal worth 6.5 crore a year with MRF. In 2017, he renewed his contract with the company for 100 crore INR for eight years, which will go until 2025. When he burst on the international scene, BDM was the batmaker he used to play with before switching to Nike.
Shikhar Dhawan
Having made his debut in 2010, Dhawan played 269 matches for India across formats. He holds the record for being the fifth quickest to 6,000 ODI runs in terms of innings batted.
Prithvi Shaw
Shaw is the youngest to secure an MRF deal at just 18 – shortly before captaining India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team in New Zealand in 2018. Shaw, often compared to Tendulkar since childhood for his early brilliance, has suffered a tragic fall from grace, culminating in going unsold in this year’s IPL auction. He was Gill’s U19 batchmate.
Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson used an MRF bat early in his career, including during his initial IPL seasons. After years on the sidelines, he has now become a regular in India’s T20I setup and enjoyed a brief purple patch. Currently, he wields an SG (Sanspareils Greenlands) bat.
Yuzvendra Chahal
The odd one out, Chahal, was spotted with the MRF logo on his bat during an ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton (2019). The tailender scored 18 – still his highest score for India – but no official MRF deal was ever confirmed. This suggests he likely borrowed a teammate’s bat, possibly Dhawan’s or Kohli’s, from the dressing room.
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