Dhoni’s Rs.200 Cr deal: Can Money Equate Talent?

The biggest sports headline today has little to do with cricket on the field. Instead it has to do with a pay tag, the price tag really for fame. But is the price tag synonymous with the talent in the present times?

mahendra singh dhoni shows off trophy

No one can grudge Sachin Tendulkar his millions in the same way that none can grudge the windfall coming Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s way. However, it gets a little cagey when comparisons are made as though Tendulkar is a bygone cricketer and the Indian captain is all there is. While there is no doubt that Dhoni has surpassed the little maestro in endorsements, but perhaps that has alone to do with the maturing cricketer in Tendulkar whose role in the public eye will have also undergone a change. There is little doubt that Dhoni is the present and the future and therefore, it makes sense to get him inked in deals that are equitable with the present times, which would also explain the burgeoning purse strings.

The world’s highest paying cricketer, the world’s highest earned cricketer, the world’s richest cricketers – these would fail to bring a smile to the down-to-earth Dhoni but he will know only smart marketing of talent would have earned him the deals he has. He could have cashed in on his wedding to Sakshi Rawat, selling exclusive rights to the media or by merely showing his clout by throwing the doors open. Yet in rather classy fashion, he has chosen to draw the line between the Dhoni that is marketable and the Dhoni that is the private individual. ( He could throw this by revealing exclusive pics but that’s another day.)

What it has also shown that Dhoni’s struggles in the past year, be it personally or as a team trying for consistency – two failed ICC World Twenty20 campaigns, have failed to dampen his aura in advertising- endorsement circles.

But is money the sole criteria to judge who is the most successful cricketer? That would be preposterous because the IPL auctions have shown (and this is merely one example), talent and reward do not often go hand in hand. There are multiple reasons why other cricketers are not making the millions like Dhoni is. While Dhoni is a refreshing captain – cum- wicketkeeper – cum explosive batsman, the figures, by no stretch of the imagination, suggest he is the best in the world. What they do indicate that the modern day cricketer needs to work to ensure his talent speaks for him and also, needs to make sure his marketability factor is intact if he is to earn for a couple of a lifetimes at the very least.

If money was the only factor, then the past cricketers would have been multi millionaires. But even they realize that their time has not seen the inflow of commercial activity that sport has seen in the last couple of decades. Comparing money’s worth across cricket eras is as pointless as judging a cricketer’s talent by the money he makes.

Subtle like Sachin or in-your-face Dhoni, there is no denying that popularity, not talent alone, has had a say in the fortunes they make. However, without talent, popularity is a wasted marketing tool as other fading stars have found out.

Highest Paid Cricketer, Dhoni, Inks Rs200 Crores Deal, Tendulkar Surpassed

Forbes says, Dhoni Cricket's Richest!

Priyanka Overtakes Cricketers, Actors in Race for Endorsement

Tendulkar: Highest Tax Paying Cricketer

Aussie Cricketers - Top Australian Top Earners

Any Surprise Top Tax Payer Lalit Modi Says IPL Is Good for Cricket?

OZ: National Selections means IPL's Economical Blues

Indian Cricketer: Player or Celeb?