Popularity of selected international athletes (in IND)

The chart documents aided popularity ratings for 28 international athletes among respondents in India, surveyed in September 2022. Each figure reflects the share of respondents who indicated liking the respective athlete.

Cricket player Virat Kohli leads the ranking with 62%, placing him well ahead of the remaining field. Footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi follow at 49% and 46% respectively. WWE wrestler John Cena reaches 40%, placing him ahead of tennis players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who each register 37%. Further down the ranking, Lewis Hamilton records 26%, while most North American sports figures — including Connor McDavid, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James — cluster between 20% and 22%. Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen and golfer Phil Mickelson both sit at 16%, the lowest figures among named athletes. Only 4% of respondents selected none of the athletes listed.