Cricketonomics : And it's the love for 'money'
Cricket is not just a sport in India.It's much more than that.It's a religion and fast-track to both power and pelf.Cricketers are demigods and have a significant appeal to the 'junta'.The Sachin's, the Dhoni's and the relatively young and vibrant Kohli's have all made hefty fortune - Thanks to Cricket!!!
The Indian public is innocent and follow these public heroes with such devotion that is unmatched and could be compared, at best, only to the public fan-following some of the great footballers receive in Europe or in the soccer crazy South American nations.
Cricketers, it's a common belief, are the best salesman and can sell anything.They, with their glamorous quotient, can slowly tease the public to buy a product which otherwise, at best, would have looked better behind the glasses at a retail outlet.
I still remember an 'Action' commercial featuring Sachin enchanting 'Jute mein hai light'. The commercial not only did wonders for the product but also made the advertisement and the chant very popular, to say the least.To say that it was the product's quality and utility alone and not Sachin's charisma that made the product do exceedingly well in the market would be an understatement. The batting genius currently has more than 16 brands in his kitty including some big names like 'Canon', 'Future Group', 'Toshiba' to list a few.
Not only Sachin, all popular cricketers have , at some point of time, had a host of brands in their bag and struck lucrative deals.
Virat Kohli, the latest sensation, for example, has signed quite a few brands to his name in a very short span of time.'Fastrack', 'Flying Machine', 'Toyota' have all trusted Virat and are banking on him and his fan appeal for years to come.
Ironically, our cricketers are much more than just a salesman. Salesmen just sell a few products. Our cricketers sell ideas as well, and in some cases even spawn ideas.Remember Sachin, Zaheer and others featuring in an NECC campaign advertisement encouraging people to include eggs as permanent constituent of their daily meals.Again how can we forget the little genius,Sachin Tendulkar, being the Brand ambassador of the 2012 Government Census.
Owing to the great impact these demigods have on the Indian 'junta', they are commercially big properties for the brands they endorse.The amount of money they charge for endorsement is mammoth.Deals in crores lasting a span of few years are a run-of-the mill.
Though with brand values above $15 million in 2012 (Courtesy:Forbes) Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni lead the pack, the rest are not far behind. Players like Gautam Gambhir, Virendar Sehwag are also making money considerably.
As if this wasn't big enough a platform for printing notes, came the IPL. And came along with it a host of sponsors running after the cricketing fraternity for contracts, more contracts and more...Courtesy: BCCI & IPL mastrmind, Lalit Modi
Lalit Modi himself struck gold and later passed the control of the gold mine on to the BCCI before renouncing as chief of the IPL board.
Off late, 'Cricket' has been one of the most lucrative businesses in the country to say the least.
But if such commercialization of the game and the cricketers good or bad for the future of the game is yet to witness.
I wish cricket to prosper even further in the country; or else the only thing, perhaps, that binds the diverse people of this diverse country into oneness, with a thin thread, would be lost and so with it the dream of a united 'One India'.
Cricket is not just a sport in India.It's much more than that.It's a religion and fast-track to both power and pelf.Cricketers are demigods and have a significant appeal to the 'junta'.The Sachin's, the Dhoni's and the relatively young and vibrant Kohli's have all made hefty fortune - Thanks to Cricket!!!
The Indian public is innocent and follow these public heroes with such devotion that is unmatched and could be compared, at best, only to the public fan-following some of the great footballers receive in Europe or in the soccer crazy South American nations.
Cricketers, it's a common belief, are the best salesman and can sell anything.They, with their glamorous quotient, can slowly tease the public to buy a product which otherwise, at best, would have looked better behind the glasses at a retail outlet.
I still remember an 'Action' commercial featuring Sachin enchanting 'Jute mein hai light'. The commercial not only did wonders for the product but also made the advertisement and the chant very popular, to say the least.To say that it was the product's quality and utility alone and not Sachin's charisma that made the product do exceedingly well in the market would be an understatement. The batting genius currently has more than 16 brands in his kitty including some big names like 'Canon', 'Future Group', 'Toshiba' to list a few.
Virat Kohli, the latest sensation, for example, has signed quite a few brands to his name in a very short span of time.'Fastrack', 'Flying Machine', 'Toyota' have all trusted Virat and are banking on him and his fan appeal for years to come.
Ironically, our cricketers are much more than just a salesman. Salesmen just sell a few products. Our cricketers sell ideas as well, and in some cases even spawn ideas.Remember Sachin, Zaheer and others featuring in an NECC campaign advertisement encouraging people to include eggs as permanent constituent of their daily meals.Again how can we forget the little genius,Sachin Tendulkar, being the Brand ambassador of the 2012 Government Census.
Owing to the great impact these demigods have on the Indian 'junta', they are commercially big properties for the brands they endorse.The amount of money they charge for endorsement is mammoth.Deals in crores lasting a span of few years are a run-of-the mill.
Though with brand values above $15 million in 2012 (Courtesy:Forbes) Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni lead the pack, the rest are not far behind. Players like Gautam Gambhir, Virendar Sehwag are also making money considerably.
As if this wasn't big enough a platform for printing notes, came the IPL. And came along with it a host of sponsors running after the cricketing fraternity for contracts, more contracts and more...Courtesy: BCCI & IPL mastrmind, Lalit Modi
Lalit Modi himself struck gold and later passed the control of the gold mine on to the BCCI before renouncing as chief of the IPL board.
Off late, 'Cricket' has been one of the most lucrative businesses in the country to say the least.
But if such commercialization of the game and the cricketers good or bad for the future of the game is yet to witness.
I wish cricket to prosper even further in the country; or else the only thing, perhaps, that binds the diverse people of this diverse country into oneness, with a thin thread, would be lost and so with it the dream of a united 'One India'.
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