MS Dhoni turns 43 today: Captain Cool, a darling of brands too 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, by far one of the most successful captains of the Indian cricket team, turns 43 today. Under his captaincy, the Indian national team has emerged victorious in all three formats of the game, including the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC World Cup in 2011.

His unconventional leadership style and ability to stay calm during high-pressure situations earned him the nickname Captain Cool. In 2018, he was awarded the country's third highest civilian award Padma Bhushan. 

Over the last 20 years, Dhoni has been a darling of brands. In Kroll’s celebrity brand ranking for 2023, Dhoni was ranked seventh overall, and was among the top-ranking sportsperson second only to Virat Kohli. His total brand value stood at USD 95.8 million. His reliability as a leader and an individual player is a very desirable trait for brands who have lapped him. Even four years post-retirement, with around 35 brands his portfolio consists of a wide range of endorsements from FMCG products to fuel, from tractors to luxury cars. 

On his birthday, e4m takes a look at some of his endorsements. 

ORIENT ELECTRIC

One of the first endorsements of his career was Orient Electric, a brand he continues to endorse till date. The now-vintage ad had Dhoni in his blond locks In fact, the brand created a long standing arc in which child actor Anushka Sen was featured as his niece at various stages of her life from a nosy child to a sneaky teen. 

PEPSI 

Another brand that Dhoni has had a long standing association with is Pepsi. In a 2016 ad, Dhoni embraced his Thala avatar which has him speak in a south indian accent (at least the Bollywood version of it!). 

SNICKERS

One of the first glimpses of the fun-Dhoni in the ad world was seen in a Snickers commercial where a hangry Dhoni turns into an old-timey warrior. It shows the Captain Cool losing his cool just before a friendly match. Thankfully, the boys handle the situation in the dressing room itself. 

E-MOTORAD 

Lately, the fun side of Dhoni came through in the ad for electric vehicle brand E- Motorad in which he has even invested. The advertisement saw him crooning the Falguni Pathak song, “Bole Jo Koyal Bagon Mein”. This was a reference to a meme featuring a man looking like him dancing on the song. 

LAYS

Dhoni has been associated with Lays Chips for long, too. He has featured with many of his teammates in various campaigns for the chips brand. In its latest campaign featuring Dhoni, the brand went on to declare him the GOAT - the greatest of all times - in very subtle ways.

Dhoni's feats on and off the field can not be surpassed. Like his CSK fans say, “Thala for a reason”. 

Other than donning the responsibility of the captain, Dhoni played as a wicket keeper-batsman. He started his career in international cricket in 2004 at the age of 22. His trademark ‘helicopter shot’ and long locks made his stand apart even in those early days. Twenty years later, he continues to stand apart and has attained a legendary status including the span of his captaincy in IPL for Chennai Super Kings that earned him another beloved nickname ‘Thala’.