Styled Yours, Mahi

Seen from the perch of his great brand appeal, Dhoni is in the sublime present, and as grounded and undemonstrative as ever .

- Arun Pandey

M.S. Dhoni’s retirement from international cricket can be seen from various angles. As a cricketer, he has achieved plenty and that he wanted the next generation to take over was eloquently clear when he quit Tests during the 2014 tour of Australia. The handing over process had begun years ago and the man known as India’s greatest finisher knew when to draw a line on his international career.

Dhoni has been a pillar of strength for Indian cricket ever since he burst on to the international scene. His contribution as a player and captain cannot be deciphered only from the statistics, although they speak eloquently. But then, Dhoni is not just a cricketer; he is a global brand. And if one considers only his glorious past, let me tell you: he is in a sublime present and an even more promising future. It’s evident, considering the fact that his brand value (a February 2020 Duff& Phelps Celebrity Brand Valuation study puts Dhoni at No. 9, with a value of $41.2 million) has almost doubled last year, despite him not playing international cricket post the 2019 World Cup.