Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Dhoni and his `M's

Staff Reporter

All good things in life start with the letter for the cricketer

BRAND AMBASSADOR: Cricketer M.S. Dhoni with I.R. Perumal, Managing Director, Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd, at a press conference in Chennai on Thursday - Photo: Bijoy Ghosh

CHENNAI: All good things in life seem to start with an `M' for cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Be it milk, motorbikes or his MTV Youth Icon status.

But M.S. Dhoni would still make an honest pitch for his first brand - Mysore Sandal soap - and be forthright about how he can boost the soap sales while the `original sandalwood oil' soap can add to his image.

"It is a typical Indian product ... uses only pure sandalwood oil," Dhoni told media persons on Thursday before rushing off to shoot new television commercials to attract more buyers for the product.

The Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited, which snapped Dhoni up immediately after his debut in international cricket in December 2004, is on a roll.

Officials attributed the Rs.10 crore increase in sales turnover last year to the host of hoardings featuring the longhaired keeper-batsman.

"He is Mysore Sandal Dhoni," declared one of them. Dhoni smiled. According to Dhoni, being the brand ambassador of soaps, shaving creams and shoe polish has helped him explore new areas and products. Probably the colas can wait.

But not milk. "I love milk." He also loves motorbikes but hastened to add: "I am not into stunts. If you have the fastest bike (a 1352 cc Kawasaki ZX 14) you wouldn't want to go beyond the limits." All in keeping with the responsible youth icon image while keeping an eye on the ever-increasing fan following. Soon he will add a gun to the collection because as he would like to put it with a straight face: "It is for security. Prevention is better than cure."

And the mane? "The hair will be there till the World Cup. Maybe the length will vary." Now we can add one more `M' to his catch: "Masala Dosai. I love them for breakfast," he added before signing off.

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