Endorsements: Yuvraj Singh & Zaheer Khan get ready to rake in big money-28 Mar, 2011

28 Mar, 2011, 02.32AM IST, Rajiv Banerjee & TR Vivek,ET Bureau

Endorsements: Yuvraj Singh & Zaheer Khan get ready to rake in big money

(I HOPE YUVRAJ CONTINUES HIS PERFORMANCE AND BE THE MAN OF THE MATCH 2MORE TIME AND HIT 6SIXES AGAIN,SO AS ZAHEER SHOULD TAKE HATTRICKS...AS WISH SAME FOR OTHERS ALSO..SACHIN'S CENTURY AND HARBHAJAN'S SPIN....DHONI'S CAPTAINCY AND HIS TEAM MATES ACTION...STAY FIT AND PLAY WELL...GOOD WISHES!!)

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Team India may just be two steps away from a historic World Cup victory, but the march up to semis has already raised the commerce quotient of its stars.

If Yuvraj plays yet another stellar innings and then perhaps even helps win the trophy, expect to see the man in a few more advertisements. Similarly, if Mr dependent, Zaheer Khan , runs through the Pakistani line up and emerges as the leading wicket taker, brand and sport marketers expect the hitherto underexploited Khan to rake in big-time moolah.

Both Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag have played two innings of substance, and a third one, if it comes at the business-end of the tournament, will be the icing on their already rich cakes.

But among the three -Dhoni, Yuvraj and Zaheer-it is Yuvraj who stands to benefit the most.

Jitender Dabas, VP and head of planning, McCann Erickson, says this World Cup could mean a significant expansion of Yuvraj's appeal. "From a 'boy' he has truly become a 'man' in this World Cup. Hence, his appeal could expand to make him relevant for more set of brands rather than just the youthful, energetic brands that he represents," he says.

Agrees Sports marketer Anirban Das Blah. "With his current performance, Yuvraj will be able to make inroads as brands might be interested in signing him as an endorser," says founder of marketing company Kwan.

However, Blah cautions."There's too much volatility in Indian cricket for one to take a long-term bet on any cricketer, except Dhoni."

Even for Dhoni, the cool-as-a-cucumber personality has won him plenty of brand associations. Beyond this, it will only be by lifting the World Cup that will help propel the man from a great leader to a legend in the Indian cricket. "Dhoni's has proved his mettle as a captain who remains calm under pressure. Brands are already riding on various facets of Dhoni," remarks Suvrangsu Mukherjee, MD, Total Sports Asia. So, with a kitty of more than 20 endorsements, it is unlikely that more brands will rush to sign him if he wins the World Cup, say market observers. "As a brand marketer, do i want to join a list of 20-plus brands that Dhoni endorses and get lost in the clutter? After all, beyond a handful of brands, does one remember all the brands endorsed by Dhoni?" asks Abhijit Avasthi, co-NCD, Ogilvy. Clearly, for Dhoni and his team, a lot more than sporting glory awaits if they can repeat 1983.