Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has signed a deal reportedly worth more than $50 million with advertising giant Saatchi and Saatchi.
Tendulkar is an icon in India and one of the most marketable personalities in the sub continent and Saatchi's marketing arm, Iconix, jumped on the opportunity when the batsman's decade-long contract with WorldTel ended.
"It's great to have a legend like Sachin as the first client of Iconix," chief executive and managing director of Saatchi's Indian operations, V Shantakumar, told Agence France-Presse.
"Sachin is more than just a cricket player, he's a role model for young and old India."
"He's still the nation's youth icon and he's still considered by cricket pundits as the world's best batsman. The value he commands comes from the respect and love people feel for him," he added.
The 132-Test veteran is recovering from shoulder surgery that kept him out of the recent series with England, but said he was excited about the new deal.
"I've entrusted Iconix with managing my affairs and have confidence in its ability to provide requisite continuity to the brands I am associated with," he said in a statement.
