Mahendra Singh Dhoni is dazzling both on and off the field, as the Indian skipper is ranked fifth in Forbes’ Most Valuable Athlete Brand List at $20 million. Dhoni is the only Indian sportsperson in the list, which is topped by NBA superstar LeBron James.
According to Forbes, the Chennai Super Kings skipper is benefited from a $4 million annual deal with Spartan Sports and Amity University that happened in 2013. The deal exceeds the $1 million endorsement that he had with Reebok earlier.
Meanwhile, James, who has recently signed for the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Miami Heat, is at the top of the totem pole, with a brand value of $37 million in 2014. The American has some high-end endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Upper Deck and Coca-Cola, to name a few.
Star golfer Tiger Woods, despite struggling with injury niggles and form this season, is second on the list with a brand value of $36 million, while 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is third at $32 million.
Track and field poster boy Usain Bolt is sixth behind Dhoni, Portugal skipper and football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is seventh, Barcelona star player Lionel Messi is ninth and the King of Clay and multiple major winner Rafael Nadal is on the 10th position.
