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Team India to cash in on dream run, Dhoni to lead again

MUMBAI: The triumphant Indian cricket team is one bunch of ambassadors any brand will love to have on board at the moment. From cool-headed skipper Dhoni to comeback man Yuvraj Singh, brands and marketers are expected to ride the euphoria around Team India. Mahi, who shaved his head after winning the World Cup, is expected to be the biggest beneficiary of this historic win, while others are also expected to cash in on the victory run. Brands that are already associated with this victorious lot said they want a bigger slice of the heroes. Ranchi lad Mahi, who endorses more than twenty brands including PespsiCo, Aircel and Reebok, is clearly the one to reap the most from the endorsement cookie after lifting the trophy on Saturday as he played a skipper's knock with an unbeaten 91 runs. Also known as the man with the Midas Touch, his endorsement rates are slated to go upwards Rs 10 crore annually from the current Rs 5-6 crore. Mobile handset maker Maxx Mobile, which signed MSD for a whopping Rs 29 crore in a seven-year deal last year, had to shoot a commercial with him on April 4, but with India's win and the upcoming IPL the plan has been pushed for a later date. "This team has reached a different level, the emotional connect will be huge at this time if a brand uses them in the right way. So, it is obvious that the rates are northward bound for most of the key players," said Mahesh Ranka, an independent sports marketing consultant. Sachin Tendulkar is not expected to substantially hike the existing rates, around Rs 5 crore annually, as he is not expected to play ODIs for long. Man of the tournament Yuvraj Singh is also touted to move up from around Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5- 2 crore annually. He is likely to add a few brands to his portfolio. Other gainers will be youngsters like Virat Kohli, his fee is expected to notch up a fair bit to Rs 55-60 lakh annually and Suresh Raina who is also likely to get go beyond the Rs 30-40 lakh per year that he commands currently. Another cricketer from the winning side to gain in the endorsement arena will be the fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who emerged as the joint highest wicket taker in the World Cup. His fee of Rs 40 lakh annually is also expected to go up nominally. "The euphoria around most of the players will be short-term but the victory has catapulted Dhoni into a different league altogether as far as the endorsement market goes," said Anirban Das Blah, MD, Kwan, a celebrity management agency. While most brands said it's too early to talk about any associations with the winning team there is a sense that a lot of marketers will like to carry on with the momentum post the historic win at the Wankhede . "There is a possibility of some brands looking to shoot another campaign and carry on with the cricket theme. But with most companies exhausting their branding and marketing budgets post the World Cup, new endorsement deals may take some time to happen. But one thing is for sure the stakes are much higher now and the legend will continue," said Latika Khaneja, director, Collage Sports Management. Korean consumer durable major, LG which is one of the four ICC partners said, though it is not going to launch any campaign around the World Cup to celebrate India's win it was pleased with its cricket association and had hugely leveraged from the successful tournament.

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