India captain Dhoni signs mammoth endorsement deal

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Indian captain Mahendra Singh  Dhoni has signed a two-year endorsement deal with a talent  management company worth 2 billion rupees ($42 million), local  media reported yesterday.

Dhoni had signed with Rhiti Sports Management and  Mindscapes, who manage national team mates Harbhajan Singh and  RP Singh, the Press Trust of India said.

“Yes, we have entered into a two-year contract with Dhoni  for R200 crore. We signed the contract a week back,” the agency  quoted Rhiti Sports general manager Sanjay Pandey as saying.

The contract eclipses a $40 million three-year deal signed  by Sachin Tendulkar, one of the all-time greatest batsmen, with  sports management firm Iconix in 2006, the agency added.

Dhoni, who led India to victory in the 2007 World Twenty20,  was rated the world’s highest paid cricketer by Forbes magazine  last year ahead of team mates Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh.
The deal caps a good week for the Indian skipper, who  celebrated his 29th birthday and his wedding to 21-year-old  management student Sakshi after a small private ceremony in  northern India.