Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador of Nissan
Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador of NissanNissan

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. appointed Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma as its new global brand ambassador, along with West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell and New Zealand captain Suzie Bates. The trio will endorse the brand starting with the ICC World Twenty20 in India from March 8.

The three cricketers, in addition to appearing on the advertising campaign of the company, will be active on social media throughout the tournament and will be a part of other initiatives such as Nissan Play of the Day.

"I'm thrilled to work with Nissan on their partnership with the International Cricket Council. The ICC World T20 is very special to me and takes a tremendous amount of hard work and innovation to win. It remains one of the most exciting cricket competitions in the world and I'm looking forward to sharing that with the fans," Rohit Sharma said in a company statement.

Sharma, Russell and Bates will join South African bowler Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada who were recently announced as Nissan's cricket ambassadors in their home country. The Japanese car maker signed a deal as the main sponsor of the International Cricket Council (ICC) events in October 2015. The deal, valid until 2023, confirms Nissan as a global sponsor of cricket's international tournaments, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC World Twenty20, as well as Under 19 and Women's Cricket and qualifying events.

Nissan has been in the forefront of sport sponsorship that already includes the UEFA Champions League, City Football Group and the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.