Now, questions are being asked of his captaincy. His commitment to Test cricket was doubted, and people wondered if he even cared for the format.
By Manoj Narayan
Not long ago, MS Dhoni was showered with epithets like ‘Captain Cool’, ‘Captain Fantastic’, ‘Iceman’ and much else. Now, his name is being dragged through virtual dirt on countless social media platforms. Given India’s submission against England, players might not be surprised at the vitriol, but it highlights the fickle nature of the Indian fan.
Now, questions are being asked of his captaincy. His commitment to Test cricket was doubted, and people wondered if he even cared for the format.
The recent dip in popularity means his marketability has probably taken a hit, but by how much? It wasn’t too long back that Dhoni was considered one of the most marketable cricketers in the world. He still is, although maybe not to the same degree as before.
In June this year, Forbes released their annual list of World’s Highest Paid athletes. Cricket had just one slot to its name. It belonged to Dhoni. So what makes Dhoni so special? Why is he part of a list no other cricketer could get a spot on?
India’s population is a big reason for this. As of last count in 2012, India had 1.237 billion people and Cricket is the undisputed top dog here. To sponsors, it’s a gold mine and Dhoni was the perfect poster boy for corporates who wanted to invest in cricket. Naturally, his triumphs with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL didn’t hurt either.
The BCCI’s financial situation is also a factor. The board’s meteoric rise can be directly charted through the broadcast rights they have sold over the past two decades. In 1994, when the BCCI sold their television rights, it was for about $ 20 million. In 2012, the price was about Rs 3,851 crore ($ 750 million or so). There was also the IPL television deal, sold to Set Max in 2008 and running up to 2017, reportedly, for about $ 1 billion.
BCCI’s increased revenue flow resulted in increased player earnings.
Dhoni, of course, belongs to the top bracket as far as the central contracts are concerned. He is a Grade A player, which is worth Rs 2 crore going by the contracts released in October 2013. That is separate from the salary he gets per match. Include the two months in the IPL, where he signed up with Chennai for $ 1.5 million in 2008 and has since been retained twice for undisclosed fees, and you can imagine the sort of numbers involved.
Yet, all that only accounts for only a small percentage of Dhoni’s earnings. Forbes values his total income at $30 million. Out of that, just $4 million comes from salaries and winnings. The rest of it, a massive $26 million, is down to endorsements. It’s remarkable to think that this man was once brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal soaps. That deal, signed in 2006, was worth Rs 70 lakh.
After captaining India to victory in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, Dhoni embarked on a leap that took him to the top of cricket’s money league. Importantly, it came on the back of achievements on the field. There was the No 1 Test ranking, two IPL titles, and the World Cup win in 2011. With each success, Dhoni’s value increased tenfold. Soon, there was the biggie—the Rs 200 crore deal with Rhiti Sports, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record..
The rise has been so swift and practically uninterrupted that Dhoni hasn’t yet faced a ‘recession’ period, so to say, until now. At 33, he probably doesn’t have too many playing years left, and the latest overseas embarrassment in England should have put his stocks at a low it hasn’t seen in years. And that begs the question: how long Dhoni can go on?
Given his achievements, it seems reasonable to suppose he will. But, there are others prepared to take over the mantle. Foremost is Virat Kohli. SportsPro, a magazine that looks at commercial aspects of sports, has forecast Kohli as the next big thing in cricket before the England tour.
The thing with Kohli is, one can say with a degree of confidence that the lows in England can be met with an even more fierce determination to do well, and he’ll find a way to bounce back. Which makes the prospect of Dhoni remaining top dog an intriguing one. Does the captain have it in him to make another comeback? You can never say, can you? Over to the Iceman with the grey beard then to prove us all wrong once again.
