Shubman Gill bags MRF bat deal; set to use the new sticker in IND vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal: Reports

Team India opener Shubman Gill has reportedly bagged a new bat sponsorship deal with Indian multinational tire manufacturing giant MRF. The 25-year-old's bat will feature the brand's sticker in the Men in Blue's 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4.

MRF bats became synonymous with India's batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, as he endorsed them for several years. The legacy was then passed onto ace batter Virat Kohli, who continues to have the brand's sticker on his bat to this date.

According to Cricbuzz journalist Vijay Tagore, Gill is the latest Indian player to have signed a bat deal with MRF. Sharing the news, he wrote on the microblogging platform X:

"Shubman Gill has signed a deal with MRF and will sport the brand's logo on his bat starting today. The agreement is said to have been finalized with his team recently."

Before the start of the IND vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal, Gill was seen practicing with the MRF sticker on his bat.

It is worth mentioning that apart from Tendulkar and Kohli, other Indian batters who previously had sponsorship deals with MRF include Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir and Sanju Samson.

Some of the notable international stars who have endorsed the brand on their bat are Brian Lara, AB de Villiers and Steve Waugh.

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Shubman Gill is India's second-highest run-getter in 2025 Champions Trophy

Shubman Gill has looked in splendid form in ODI cricket lately, which has also helped him reach the No. 1 spot in the ICC's batting rankings for the format.

The talented youngster kicked off the 2025 Champions Trophy by notching up his eighth ODI century. He remained unbeaten on 101 off 129 balls, helping India chase down the 229-run target with six wickets in hand.

Shubman got off to an impressive start in the subsequent clash with arch-rivals Pakistan. However, he failed to convert it into a big score, perishing after scoring 46 runs in 52 deliveries.

Gill failed to impress in the team's final group match against New Zealand, getting out for two runs. With 149 runs across three innings, he is India's second-highest run-getter in the edition.