BRAND KUMBLE ADS MORE VALUE:The Indian test victory over Pakistan on 26 Nov. under the
captaincy of Anil Kumble has increased
his brand valuation from Rs. 70 lakhs to Rs. one crore which is almost at par with that of M.S. Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid. The Manipal education ambassador, Kumble has already pocketed Samsung, IOC, Indigo Nation and ING Vyasa and is now reaching out to more and more brands, Indian and foreign. Some of the
experts watch his maiden
captaincy charishma with caution and feels that if Kumble retains both his captaincy and killing instinct for sometime, his brand valuation may receive a momentum. But others, looking beyond cricket, bank more upon his sportsmanship, his gentle image and other personal traits like photography.With age factor working against this emerging test captain, the focus of sports market managers is slightly inclined to take full advantage of his middle age and sell him as a man of family, thinker and educator instead of promoting him for a youthful portfolio. Many experts are enthusiastic about his exclusive captaincy traits, his capacity for strategic decisions and experimentation on field, which place him at par or above Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. The market is keenly watching his googly.