Dhoni’s wife enjoys cricket and not the attention

So what exactly does it mean to be Indian cricket's first lady? Ask Sakshi Dhoni and she'd perhaps be unaware.

Sakshi and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's love story that began in March 2008 was India's best-kept secret for two years before the duo tied the knot last July. Just like Dhoni's personal life has been aloof since his onset eight years back, his wife appears to be just as guarded.

Sakshi was spotted at P2 Pavilion here at Chinnaswamy Stadium during Chennai's May 22 IPL game against Bangalore. She was sitting by herself, enjoying the cricket, not the types who grab attention. There was a bodyguard of sorts who was with her the whole time, but Sakshi seemed to be totally unaware of his presence. Even when she went to serve herself dinner during the mid-innings break, Sakshi was uncomfortable having a bodyguard around her, and may have gestured that she needn't be followed around.

Hailing from a typical middle-class household, Sakshi is said to be a simple girl who happened to floor the Indian skipper during their meeting at Taj Bengal in December 2007. A hotel management student, she was interning at the hotel where India and Pakistan were put up ahead of their clash at Eden Gardens.

When MiD DAY asked her how she was enjoying travelling with the Chennai Super Kings this IPL season, Sakshi said: "I am really sorry, I don't mean to be rude. But, I am not comfortable talking to any media at the moment."

That reaction from the Dehradun girl summed up her approach towards fame and everything associated with being the wife of perhaps the most influential Indian cricketer of this generation.

MS Dhoni wins Rafael Nadal and Kobe Bryant

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the most marketable Asian sport star, according to London-based SportsPro magazine. The India captain’s marketability is higher than international sporting icons like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Kobe Bryant. “Dhoni has undeniably become the player that sponsors opt for to endorse their brand in the south-eastern Asian country,” it says. “Without question though, in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup and the IPL, Dhoni’s marketability will reach a new high in India, and everyone will want a piece of its new national hero,” says the magazine, which has listed out 50 most marketable sportspersons of the year. Dhoni is 10th on the list.

Leading the poll is Usain Bolt, who moves up from fourth place last year and replaces NBA star LeBron James who topped the analysis in 2010. “Although he will never attain quite the Messianic status that Sachin Tendulkar has with the Indian population, Dhoni has undeniably become the number one choice for those looking to boost their brand in the south-eastern Asian country,” says the magazine. “The main point of the list was to find out where the value for money might lie. It is not supposed to be a ranking of the wealthiest people in sport, or even the most popular but simply who represents a good investment from a sports sponsor’s perspective,” the magazine says. Dhoni endorses 23 brands, including Reebok, Pepsi and Lays. He has been guaranteed a minimum earning of US$19 million over the next three years.

Yuvraj Singh, man of the tournament in the World Cup, is 49th in the list. Of all those caught in Indian cricket’s rising tide, Yuvraj looks set to be lifted the highest. “He was popular enough among the national team’s devoted following before being named player of the tournament at this year’s World Cup; with his transformation from free-scoring all-rounder to bona-fide national hero, brands are said to be forming a disorderly queue,” the magazine says. Yuvraj reportedly earns as much as US$1 million per deal from the likes of Reebok, Fiat and Seagram’s Royal Stag and it is anticipated that at least a 30 per cent jump in his endorsement fees.

“For companies wary of the corporate haze around Dhoni and the deified Tendulkar, Yuvraj is perhaps the best available option. A lead role in upcoming animation feature Captain India offers a route to Bollywood, and with over 440,000 followers on social networking site Twitter — nearly 200,000 more than Dhoni — he can reach out to the sprawling Indian diaspora too. As captain of expansion Pune Warriors, Yuvraj is also central to the commercial fortunes of that sponsors’ paradise,” the magazine points out. The key tenet of the list is the search for value for marketing money. As such, it is pointed out, the likes of Roger Federer, David Beckham and Michael Schumacher — household names and hugely marketable individuals — are not included in the rankings as the cost of an endorsement with them is likely to be at its peak or, indeed, on the wane.