Dhoni Signs Rs. 2 Billion endorsement deal

Indian cricket team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni signed a whopping Rs.2 billion endorsement deal with a talent management company. The talent firm will handle Dhoni's list of endorsements and brand associations, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, images, visibility on social networking sites and merchandise.

The subcontinent's most expensive sportsperson, Dhoni, is associated with 22 brands namely PepsiCo, Reebok, Aircel, Godrej and Hersheys etc,... Last year, Forbes magazine named him the 'world's highest-grossing cricketer'. He is cricket's first $10 million-a-year man. Dhoni charges up to Rs 6 crore for an endorsement a year.

With this big budget deal, Dhoni has surpassed little master Sachin Tendulkar in the corporate contract sweepstakes. In 2006, Tendulkar signed a three-year deal with sports management firm Iconix worth Rs 1.80 billion.