Influencer marketing has taken over the internet like a storm. Major industries like beauty, fashion, healthcare, and eCommerce are leveraging the power of influencer marketing, and sports is no exception. Today, big players like Adidas, Puma, and Reebok are collaborating with top sports influencers to make their products reach a broader audience.
Top 10 Indian sports influencers to follow and collaborate with
From creators who sway you to stay fit to influencers who can do wonders for a sports, fitness, or athleisure brand, here are our picks for the top 10 sports influencers in India.
1. Virat Kohli
View this post on Instagram
The first sports influencer is an honourable mention because really he list couldn’t be complete without him. Virat Kohli, the former Indian team captain is one of the best cricketers of his era and a fitness enthusiast. In a recent #TwisterciseWithVirat collaboration with the brand Violini, we see him performing multiple exercises and challenging his followers. It’s a perfect example of an influencer marketing campaign for cross-promotion.
2. Shivani Gupta
View this post on Instagram
Shivani Gupta, a girl with a 6 pack, is a famous Indian athlete, fitness trainer, and social media influencer. Shivani’s preparation to become an athlete started before she was born. Her father always hoped to be a sportsperson, but circumstances intervened. So, he dreamed that his children would make a name in sports.
Shivani started training in volleyball when she was 8 years old and there has been no looking back. Today, she is a true influencer and an inspiration for women. Hoping to get a summer bod? Use her Reels and short videos on workout sessions.
3. Satnam Singh Bhamara
View this post on Instagram
Satnam Singh is an Indian professional wrestler and a former basketball player. He started his career in the basketball field in April 2015, and was announced as an early entrant for the 2015 NBA Draft. After being selected by the Dallas Mavericks, he became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA.
In 2017, he switched to being a professional wrestler and was signed by All Elite Wrestling in September 2021. His Instagram is a mix of workout session videos and life updates.
4. Neeraj Chopra
View this post on Instagram
Neeraj Chopra made history in 2021 by winning India’s first-ever gold medal in athletics at the Tokyo Olympics. Needless to say, he is an inspiration to every sports enthusiast in India.
He believes “hard work and effort have no substitutes.” And, we think, it’s this ethos that has landed him collaborations with several fitness brands, such as Muscle Blaze.
5. Sandeep Sejwal
View this post on Instagram
Another sports influencer is Sandeep Sejwal. By chance, if you don’t know him, he is one of India’s foremost swimmers and is considered one of Asia’s best breaststroke swimmers. He is also the senior national champion and Indian National Record-holder in the 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke events.
With a silver medal from the Asian Indoor Games in 2007, he is the perfect influencer for swimwear brands or swimming enthusiasts. His posts are a font of information on how to be swim-ready.
6. Mary Kom
View this post on Instagram
This sports influencer needs no introduction. A professional boxer from India, Mary Kom is the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship 6 times. And she is the only female boxer to win a medal in all seven World Championships.
Her Instagram is a place of motivation for women who want to enter the boxing field and break stereotypes. If you’re looking for content ideas, remix one of Mary Kom’s Reels by recreating her boxing moves. Or simply follow her for her workout sessions on how to become fit.
7. Geeta Phogat
View this post on Instagram
Geeta Phogat is a freestyle wrestler who won India’s first-ever gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Also, she is the only female wrestler from India to enter the Olympic Summer Games.
A strong advocate of women’s empowerment, her content focuses on gym sessions and family life. And, oh, we loved her workout challenge of lifting heavyweights with an injured leg.
8. Shweta Rathore
View this post on Instagram
Another strong sports influencer, breaking all the stereotypes on social media, is Shweta Rathore. She is the first Indian woman to bag a medal at the Fitness Physique World Championships. The founder of Fitness Forever, her workout sessions are truly inspirational, and that’s saying something since most of us tend to be allergic to anything fitness or health. If you’re looking for content on how to exercise the right way with the right form, Shweta is your answer.
9. Thakur Anoop Singh
View this post on Instagram
Thakur Anoop Singh is a famous Indian celebrity who has worked in several Tollywood movies. He won a gold medal at the 7th WBPF World Bodybuilding Championship in Thailand, a bronze medal in the 49th Asian Championship in Uzbekistan in 2015, and silver in Fit Factor – Mr India 2015. With his followers on Instagram, he shares his gym routine and motivates them to stay on the fitness track.
10. Rani Rampal
View this post on Instagram
The captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, under Rani’s aegis, the team reached the Olympics semi-finals for the first time. Besides being the best captain of the women’s hockey team, she is also a fitness enthusiast. Her Instagram Reels are filled with gym videos and workout sessions that talk about fitness tips, motivation, and a lot more.
And, there you go! Those were the sports influencers we think are worth following.
Brands, if you’re looking for influencers open to collaborations, try our creator-first influencer marketing platform, Do Your Thng.
