Brand Dhoni goes off the beaten track

With a drop in the number of endorsements and the fees he commands, the iconic cricketer is casting himself in a new image. Can he get his groove back?

MS Dhoni has been staring down television screens and hoardings exhorting people to buy into the promise held by Exide Life Insurance, a private insurer that has just signed the cricketer on for an undisclosed sum. For Dhoni, this is a far cry from the usual list of products he endorses - colas, snacks, sportswear and such others - all typically targeted at young consumers. This is his first insurance endorsement and also one where he dangles a very different pitch; trust, stability and long term relationships against the speedy, young sharpshooter that he was once seen as. The number