India opener and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Gautam Gambhir has been signed up by leading Asian sports marketing firm World Sport Group for three years.
The exact figure that the left-handed Delhi batsman will reap from the deal with WSG, which has Sachin Tendulkar among its clients, was not mentioned in a statement issued by the company, but it is understood to be worth over a crore of rupees.
WSG CEO Venu Nair said Gambhir is the second Indian cricketer after champion batsman Tendulkar to be signed by them.
"Gautam Gambhir -- India's opening batsman in all forms of the game currently adds a left hander dimension to the master right hander we already represent. The association is a long term one and is for Gautam's worldwide representation rights," Nair said.
"In the last year or so, with the advent of the IPL, players and their earnings are at the centre of all the media attention. Truth be told, the scale of the IPL notwithstanding, the real heavy hitters among the cricketers are still driven by endorsements and salaries constitute a
relatively smaller portion of their income."
"Recognizing this, and building upon the solid body of work we have done with Sachin Tendulkar, World Sport Group has in India added a second cricketer to its portfolio," he said.
WSG vice-president for South Asia, Harish Krishnamachar, said Gambhir has the potential to be the country's premier batsman over the next five years.
"At WSG, we believe, Gautam has the potential to be India's best batsman over the next five-year period. He has been very consistent in all formats of the game and has the flexibility to adapt and play as the situation demands.
"Importantly, from a sponsorship point of view Gautam has all the credentials, is articulate, has the ability and is not over exposed," he said.
Speaking about his association with WSG, Gambhir said having Tendulkar in its list of clients was a good enough credential for him.
"WSG had all the credentials I needed; importantly, they seem to understand the space and comfort that a cricketer needs. My reassurance comes from the fact that they have successfully looked after Sachin's interest and the people who will look after my interests gave me a great deal of comfort," he said.
Among WSG's other clients are the BCCI, the IPL, the Asian Football Confederation and the Indian Golf Union.
