Dhoni signs Rs 210-cr deal, pips Sachin

India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has signed a whopping Rs 210 crore endorsement deal with a talent management company, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar in the corporate contract sweepstakes.

Dhoni has entered into a two-year deal with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes, which will manage the Indian skipper's long list of endorsements and brand associations, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, images, visibility on social networking sites and merchandise through a joint venture.

Tendulkar's three-year deal with sports management firm Iconix, signed in 2006, was worth Rs 180 crore.

Confirming the development, Rhiti Sports General Manager (Operations) Sanjay Pandey said as per the agreement, the company will be looking after Dhoni's entire spectrum of endorsements.

"Yes, we have entered into a two-year contract with Dhoni for Rs 210 crore. We have signed the contract a week back. From now onwards we will be handling Dhoni's endorsements," Pandey said.

Apart from Dhoni, Rhiti Sports also manages his team-mates RP Singh and Harbhajan Singh.

Currently, Dhoni is the country's most expensive sportsperson and is associated with 22 brands such as PepsiCo, Reebok, Aircel, Godrej and Hersheys.