Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Dhoni does business the way he plays cricket

As builder flats go, C-158, Sarvodaya Enclave, is a typical construct of New Delhi’s post-partition colonies. The houses are stacked shoulder to shoulder. The big architectural idea is to create five houses in a space meant for three. A grilled gate, away from the main entrance, opens into a flight of stairs, which leads to the basement office of Rhiti Sports Management.

Forget elegance or sophistication, there's nothing to even announce its arrival. It looks nothing like an establishment that has recently committed to generating business of Rs 210 crore over the next three years for its most prized client.

Inside, on every wall of the three-room set, the client is framed: MS Dhoni. He’s there in sawed-off sleeves, with dreadlocks and the World T20 cup. He’s there in a water-colour, in a sherwani, looking like royalty.

When it’s not a picture, it’s a jersey: the back of his old India blue, number 7, with scribbles of fellow Indian players. When it’s not a jersey, it’s a calendar: Mak makes it possible. This time around, it’s the closest we will get to Dhoni to understand the inner workings of Brand Dhoni.

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