NEW DELHI: Indian cricket captain and the country's highest paid celebrity Virat Kohli may be on the verge of making big changes to his brand endorsement deal with Pepsi over concerns that colas don’t chime with his desire to champion fitness. PepsiCo spokesperson said: "Discussions are still on with Virat and his team."Kohli has reservations about directly endorsing a cola, given the increasing health worries over sugary drinks, said an executive with knowledge of the development."He may choose to associate with another brand from within the company's portfolio," this official said. Former cricketer Sachin Tendular , for example, has signed a partnership deal with PepsiCo for its Quaker oats brand. Kohli's endorsement deal with PepsiCo has been up for renewal for over a month now, having ended on April 30. The company is keen on a contract extension considering Kohli's celebrity status. He has been associated with directly with brand Pepsi for at least six years now.Kohli, 28, made his views on fitness clear in a recent interview to CNN-IBN."When I started my fitness turnaround, it was more of a lifestyle thing initially. If something goes away from that, I would not want to be a part of that or be promoting that," he said. "We are actually on the cusp of making some big changes on that front. Things that I've endorsed in the past, I won't take names, but something that I feel that I don't connect to anymore. If I myself won't consume such things, I won't urge others to consume it just because I'm getting money out of it."Currently in England for the ICC Champions Trophy , Kohli endorses 18 brands, with the ones related to food and beverages being Pepsi, Herbalife nutritional supplements and Boost. Other endorsements include MRF tyres, Tissot watches, Puma sports gear, Colgate oral care, Audi cars and Samsonite luggage, among others. Besides endorsements, the fitness advocate has direct investments in a chain of gyms called Chisel, tech startup Sports Convo, Wrogn fashion and has also partnered with Nazara Technologies for online cricket games.There was no response to an email sent to Cornerstone, the talent management firm that represents Kohli.The Rs 22,000-crore soft drinks industry has been under increasing scrutiny by both governments and health lobbyists. The sector has been facing low single-digit growth in the past five-six quarters, owing to consumer preferences moving to low-sugar beverages, reduced spending on discretionary products and local brands selling at least 15-30% cheaper.PepsiCo recently introduced Pepsi Black, a zero-sugar cola in cans. With an estimated brand valuation of $120 million plus, Kohli has surpassed former colleagues such as Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni.