No day off after retirement for Dhoni

Perhaps due to prevailing economic conditions of his time, Arthur E. Morgan, a renowned civil engineer, US administrator, and educator said that preparation for old age and retirement should begin no later than one's teens. India’s T20I captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni could not start that early, but considering what he has on his plate besides cricket, he will still be one busy man even after he bids adieu to the beautiful game.

India’s limited overs skipper MS Dhoni will have his hands full after retirement, as he has a diversified portfolio with business interests in real estate, security solutions, a chain of gyms or the recently-launched sports apparel chain, SEVEN, reports Hindustan Times.

According to the Hindustan Times report, MS Dhoni owns SportsFit World, a fitness centre chain, which is a joint venture with Rhiti Sports Management Pvt Ltd, the company that manages his brand endorsements and communication. Dhoni holds 65% share of SportsFit World, while Rhiti Sports Management holds the rest. The Rising Pune Supergiants skipper also has stakes in Hockey India League (HIL) franchise Ranchi Rays, Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Chennaiyin FC and Supersport World Championship team Mahi Racing Team India.

India’s most successful skipper currently endorses 17 brands, the highest number. He is also the highest paid. Forbes ranked him 23rd richest sportsperson, with $31 million earnings — $4 million in salary and the rest from endorsements — in 2014-15.

“Dhoni is already a brand name and it automatically creates a pull. He is effectively using his brand value by not doing too many advertisements,” said Navin Khemka, partner at media house Maxus, an arm of GroupM.

“The life of a sports star is short and insecure. Product endorsements start fading away once you retire. It is important for a sportsman to invest intelligently and secure his future.”

The man who invented the Helicopter-shot is also a majority stakeholder in Optimum Vigilance Solutions, a company dealing in security and biometric systems. He is also co-producing a biopic, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, scheduled for release this year.