Published: Jul 15, 2016, 10:27 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 15, 2016, 10:27 AM (IST)
India’s limited-overs captain MS Dhoni may have retired from Test cricket, but he still remains a major attraction when it comes to endorsements and has a tremendous brand value. Besides still being a brand ambassador of over 15 brands, Dhoni also enjoys co-ownership in Indian Super League (ISL) football franchise Chennaiyin FC and Hockey India League (HIL) team Ranchi Rays. Going by all this and the reputation he has in the country, it is hard to imagine if he can ever be duped by a brand. But this has happened. ALSO READ: MS Dhoni beats Virat Kohli off the field.
As reported by PTI, Dhoni has been duped by one of the brands he endorses, Australia-based Spartan Sports, a sporting gear and equipment company, to the tune of INR 20 crores. Dhoni has a three-year bat and sponsorship deal worth INR 13 crores with the company which has reportedly gone sour. With the royalty clause on his bat deal included, the owed amount goes well over Rs 20 crore. ALSO READ: A peek into MS Dhoni’s ‘untold’ love story
According to the report, Spartan has paid only four installments since the deal was struck in December 2013, the latest payment being made in March 2016. Rhiti Sports, the firm that manages Dhoni, has not revealed much on the matter, with the boss Arun Pandey only commenting “everything is not smooth and hopefully the matter will be resolved soon”.
While the deal with Spartan is technically still on, Rhiti Sports is planning to take legal action against Spartan Sports, which has its flagship store in Sydney as well as New Delhi. Besides Dhoni, the Australian firm has big names of the cricketing world associated with it, as former Australian captain Michael Clarke, West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, England cricketer Eoin Morgan, former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson and Sir Viv Richards are its ambassadors.
