Now, luxury villas worth Rs 9 cr for Team India

The windfall for India’s World Cup winning cricketers continues with real estate firm Amrapali today announcing villas worth a total of Rs 9 crore as gift to captain M S Dhoni and his team mates.

Amrapali, which had signed Dhoni as its brand ambassador in 2009 for four years, said the entire World Cup winning Indian cricket team will be given the villas at its luxury township ‘Amrapali Dream Valley Project’ at Noida extension.

“Dhoni was presented with an exotic grand villa covering 2,900 sq ft worth Rs 1 crore, while other team members were gifted villas worth Rs 55 lakh each, covering an area of 1,690 square feet,” Amrapali Chairman and Managing Director Anil Kumar Sharma told reporters here.

The construction of the township has started and would be completed in three years, he added.

When asked if there was a possibility of renegotiation of Dhoni’s endorsement fees due to his increased brand equity, Sharma said: “He (Dhoni) is a very generous person, he is not business-minded. Whatever previous commitment he has, will not change. So we will not have any impact because of increase in his brand value.”

Ever since the Indian cricket team recreated the history by winning the coveted World Cup after a gap of 28 years, the players have been showered with gifts that include crores of rupees, housing plots, luxury villas and first AC class passes in Railways.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took the lead announcing a Rs 1 crore award for each player and several state governments followed suit.