Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s appeal still on a strong wicket!

Right from the start, nothing about him — be it an unorthodox batting technique including the ‘helicopter shot’, or an atypical wicket-keeping style — has been close to being predictable. Probably, it’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s unconventional career path and conduct [off as well as on field] that turned the Jharkhand lad into an instant enigma. And as a result, Brand Dhoni’s trajectory has been nothing less than sensational. For instance, in 2019, ‘captain cool’ apparently featured in ad films for as many as 44 brands.

Now, as Dhoni hangs up his boots vis-à-vis international cricket, brand experts don’t see “any impact on his larger-than-life” brand value, at least in the “imminent future”. “MS’ journey is the stuff dreams are made of. A small-town boy, he came from nowhere and fired people’s imagination — with his swashbuckling attitude, captaining the team and winning World Cups at a very young age,” says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, who has shot a couple of ad films with Dhoni.

Interestingly, Dhoni hasn’t played any cricket since the World Cup semi-final match in July last year. Still, his brand appeal has remained largely intact. According to the Duff & Phelps Celebrity Brand Valuation study 2019, he was at ninth place with a brand value of $41.2 million, after he made a jump from his 2018 rank of 12.

Last year, he also retained the number five spot on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list as his income rose from ₹101.77 crore in 2018 to ₹135.93 crore in 2019. Reportedly, his net worth is approximately ₹800 crore with other sources of income including a hotel in Ranchi, a chain of gyms, an athleisure brand, and ownership of other sports teams like Chennaiyin FC and Ranchi Rays etc.

“Dhoni has an enigmatic long-term value. To a true lover of the game, he transcends club and national loyalties like few have before him. So, like me, even if you are a Mumbai Indians (MI) fan, you want MS to have a great game but MI to eventually win. I am confident that his brand value and persona will sustain itself for a long time,” says Atul Kasbekar, CMD of Bling Entertainment.

Experts readily admit that brands are “always attracted towards endorsers” who are visible. And that’s why, they feel, Dhoni’s stints with Indian Premier League (IPL) will be important as it’ll “keep him in the public eye”. At the same time, they believe that the appeal of “huge brands” like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, Amitabh Bachchan and Dhoni goes beyond on-field/screen exploits that keep them “perennially relevant”.

“The sheer mystique and on-field brilliance that one associates with Dhoni is going to ensure that his brand value keeps shining bright,” says ad filmmaker and Bollywood director R Balki, adding: “The values/attributes that Dhoni bring — maintaining his cool under pressure besides being a great leader and a fantastic strategist — are going to last long. Plus, I must say, Dhoni is a better actor than many other sporting heroes (laughs).”

Currently, Dhoni is believed to be endorsing over 25 brands, with his endorsement fee believed to be a whopping ₹8-12 crore. Kakkar puts things in perspective: “He is a real hero, who broke all the rules and still endeared himself to masses. So, it will take a long time for his appeal to start waning off.”

MSD: forever special!

In a surprising move, on Saturday, Dhoni bid goodbye to international cricket, leaving scores of fans feeling emotional. And within minutes, the social media world was abuzz with his name and #DhoniRetires trending online. Even as compliments poured in from across the board, several brands such as Amul, Zomato, Google, Parle-G, and KFC, among others, came up with special digital tributes for the ex-Indian captain.
“Like Kapil Dev, Dhoni led the team that won us the World Cup, and that alone elevates him to cult/ legend status. That appeal will always be timeless,” says Kasbekar. The wicketkeeper-batsman will next be seen leading the Chennai Super Kings in
IPL 2020.

‘Bursting with immense pride’

Along with Dhoni, his long-time friend and Indian team member, Suresh Raina, also hung up his boots vis-à-vis international cricket, on Saturday. For many years, Dhoni and Raina were two solid constants in the Indian team’s middle-order in ODIs, putting up several match-winning partnerships. While the International Cricket Council praised the two of them, tweeting: “What a duo!”, the swashbuckling southpaw’s wife, Priyanka wrote on Twitter: “Though I’m still processing this! All I can say is I’m bursting with pride, Immense pride. My heart is just filled with respect & gratitude @ImRaina.” Like Dhoni, Raina will be seen playing for Chennai Super Kings in IPL this year.