Get All Access for $5/mo

Is A Virat Kohli Avatar On The Horizon? This Entrepreneur Has The Answer With NFTs and the Metaverse touted to be the next big thing round the block, how will NFTs of cricketers fare in that scenario? For example, how soon could we possibly see an avatar of Virat Kohli, accessible to only a select few?

By Kabir Singh Bhandari

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

The craze around cricketers, their lifestyles and the brands that they associate themselves with refuses to die down. With NFTs and the Metaverse touted to be the next big thing round the block, how will NFTs of cricketers fare in that scenario? For example, how soon could we possibly see an avatar of Virat Kohli, accessible to only a select few? Jogesh Lulla, COO of Cornerstone Sports & Entertainment Pvt Ltd and co-founder of Cornerstone Sport seems to have the answer.

Cornerstone Sport handles Kohli and Lulla is responsible for all digital and technology related businesses of the agency. The consultancy is involved in talent management, licensing and merchandising, animation and gaming, digital solutions, sponsorship, brand activations, and the creation and development of IPs, in the fields of sports and entertainment.

SEE VIDEO: Comedian Saloni Gaur on her Kangana Ranaut equation, answering repetitive questions and more

Lulla co-founded Cornerstone Sports in 2014 and went on to become the COO of Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment Pvt Ltd in 2016. Before that, he had lead projects like Wrogn, One8 (Virat Kohli's own brand that has been licensed to Puma), Hyper Tygers (A comic series on Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma), Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's Mobile Games, Gully (KL Rahul's clothing line), Muve Acoustics and Lux Industries.

In the past he was also associated with the healthcare space at medTians where he handled technical sales department and contributed in creating first networking and knowledge sharing portal exclusively for doctors. An alumnus of Purdue University, Lulla has a degree in Computer Technology.

SEE VIDEO: Comedian Srishti Dixit on fame, marriage plans, trolls and much more

Talking about their NFT plans, Lulla said, "We also have a joint venture with Dharma Productions, so we could be looking at creating NFTs of some of Dharma's films. Those who purchase these NFTs would get access to premieres, meet and greet with celebrities or maybe even a chance to be in the movie. That is one part of the NFT vision."

Another part of their vision, looking at it long term, would be creating avatars of Virat Kohli, which shall itself make you part of a Virat Kohli club and it could be integrated into a metaverse so you can interact with others as this avatar. That same avatar can then go into a video game, like FreeFire where you play as a Virat Kohli.

Kabir Singh Bhandari

Former Senior Assistant Editor

News and Trends

Tech Burner's Anarc Smartwatch Achieves INR 3 Cr Sales with USD 1 Mn Investment

Anarc features a patented octagonal design by Thought Over Design and Seymourpowell, with a medical-grade stainless steel body. It includes advanced technology like a Hisilicon chipset, AMOLED display, and seven-day battery life.

Diversity

5 Ways You Can Create a More Inclusive Workplace Immediately -- and Why You Should

The more diversity you bring to your team, the greater your chances of finding groundbreaking insights and solutions.

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

Marketing

4 Neuromarketing Hacks to Reach More People and Maximize Results

You don't need to be a neuroscientist or have a big budget to start upping your conversions immediately.

News and Trends

Fintech Start-Up CredFlow Secures $3.7M Pre-Series B Funding

CredFlow said that the funding proceeds will go towards "optimizing and scaling the startup's financial services and lending verticals, as well as towards improving its tech and innovation capabilities."

News and Trends

Insurtech Player Zopper Raises $25M in Series D Funding

With 40 insurance companies and 2500+ ecosystem players, Zopper will utilize the fresh capital to ramp up digital infrastructure, by strengthening its Insurance Distribution platform