A look at the businessman inside Mahendra Singh Dhoni

By now, everyone cricket lovers have got to know the story of India’s most successful skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Captain Cool, as he is famously known, is a multi-faceted sporting personality and has been the earner among sporting personalities in India for a long time now. Most of his earnings come from endorsements and other media commitments, we all know. But, what most of the people don’t know is a large chunk of his annual earnings come from various business ventures apart from promoting product in telly. Reports suggest that close to forty percent of his revenues through his various business investments

Ranchi Rays

As said earlier, Dhoni is a multi – faceted sporting personality and has interests in almost all sports. So, when the opportunity to invest and promote hockey through his hometown Ranchi, Dhoni did not had any second thoughts and quickly bought stakes in the Hockey India League franchise Ranchi Rays.

Ranchi already had an existing team called the Ranchi Rhinos but the team soon had to withdraw from the league after their owner, the Patel-Uniexcel Group, pulled out in September, 2014. A month later, realizing that this was the best time to take a course of action, Dhoni forged with Sahara India Pariwar to buy the franchise rights and establish a brand new franchise, which they named Ranchi Rays.

Chennaiyin FC

“ Acha goal keeping karta hai, Cricket khelega,” the famous dialogue from the biopic simply tells the Football and not cricket as Dhoni first choice of sports. Fate had different ideas and he later on chose cricket over football after excelling it bu the craze for the game has always been there in him. In 2014, When the ambitious Indian Super league was announced, Dhoni got the opportunity to get himself associated with his favorite sports – Football. He joined forces with Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan and Asian Paints’ Vita Dani in October and was co-founded the Chennaiyin FC. According to The Hindu, he stated that this league would help Indian football at a grass-root level, spreading awareness and encouraging the younger generation of Indians to take an active interest in it.

Mahi Racing India

Dhoni’s love for hot wheels is public knowledge. Fuelling this passion, he launched his very own racing team branded MSD R-N Racing Team India, later rebranded as Mahi Racing, back in July 2012. The team was then soon to compete in the FIM Supersport World Championship. Dhoni roped in the efforts of actor Nagarjuna Akkineni in the management of the team, with Akkineni later functioning as the Director of the team.

SportsFit

Being a leading sportsman and shouldering the pressure of a thousand watchful eyes, Dhoni understands the importance of fitness in the world of sports. To this end, he launched a fitness centre SportsFit with his business manager Arun Pandey in 2012. The company aims to establish a series of 200 gyms across the country in the next five years through an investment of Rs 2,000 crore in the venture. The company had planned its expansion through a franchising model through the five years following its inception. Dhoni reportedly handpicked all the equipment and shortlisted the trainers, of the 25,000 sq. foot Gurgaon gym of the Company. M.S. Dhoni’s visionary sportsmanship and all his sports-related activities have made him one of the most respected men in the field. As we all book our tickets to watch his life story unfold on screen this Friday, we’ll know why