MS Dhoni Beats Shah Rukh Khan And Amitabh Bachchan In This!

MS Dhoni Beats Shah Rukh Khan And Amitabh Bachchan In This

43-year-old Mahendra Singh Dhoni continues to remain the brightest star in the Indian brand endorsement scene even after the retirement of his cricketing career.

In the first half of 2024, notably, 42 brands have aligned themselves with Dhoni while Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan is associated with only 41 brands, as per a research study by TAM Media Research, a joint venture between Nielsen of US and Kantar of UK.

The second big endorsement on Wednesday saw Eurogrip Tyres finalizing him as its brand ambassador — for the next year’s Indian Premier League. The list of the organisations for which Dhoni worked this year also long, including French carmaker Citroen, drone tech startup Garuda Aerospace, Cleartrip owned by Flipkart, Lay’s of PepsiCo, cross-reward programme operator Single.id, e-cycle player EMotorad, payment card services giant Mastercard, fuel company Gulf Oil, consumer electrical brand Orient Electric, and fitness and nutrition brand Explosive Whey. These partnerships come in addition to he having many ongoing partnerships with other major brands.

"Even after retirement, Dhoni's brand value is growing," remarked Madhavan Parthasarathy, executive vice-president, TVS Srichakra, Eurogrip's parent company. 

"He embodies reliability and performance... Dhoni perfectly complements our commitment to delivering innovative tyre solutions for the new-age riders. This collaboration is a milestone in our brand journey."

"Being associated with a brand like Eurogrip is truly exciting," Dhoni said. "My love for motorcycles and riding began long before my cricketing journey, and over the years, I have had the chance to ride a variety of bikes -- from timeless classics to top-of-the-line superbikes. Choosing the right tyres is essential for a safe and enjoyable ride."

According to TAM Media Research, Dhoni's rise in brand endorsements has been growing, leaving behind not just Bachchan but Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, who is associated with 34 brands (as of H1 2024).

R N Baba, former media manager of the Indian national cricket team and current office bearer of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, said: "People love Dhoni across the country because of the way he carries himself -- a calm and cool approach. In Chennai, people call him Thala, or head, and that is the respect he gets from the common man... I know several cases in which he declined brand endorsements, yet companies are still after him."

"As a sportsman, he won us World Cups (T20 and One Day), the Champions Trophy, and many more. But the way he behaves with the public makes him the most acceptable brand ambassador in India," Baba elaborated.