As Sachin Tendulkar "walks into the sunset, will Brand Sachin, which sold many a dream and still continues to do so, also diminish?" asks Sreemoy Talukdar of the TIMES OF INDIA. It appears that here, too, Tendulkar "is set to break some records." In the collective Indian mindspace,Tendulkar's impact "can only be measured as a combination perhaps of a Michael Schumacher, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan put together, and some more." Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, who has shot numerous commercials with Tendulkar, said, "Sachin is no longer a brand. He's an icon. The brands will no doubt be after him, perhaps even more than before. But they will be bound by their limitations, not Sachin's. Frankly, no company can afford Sachin any more, the heights he has now reached. They still may offer him some, and he may condescend to favor a few but in terms of brand valuation, Sachin is in a league of his own." Given that Sachin has retired at the "ripe old age of 40" there "seems little logic in brands trying to pursue him for endorsements." And this "is where the maestro is different from the rest." Percept Communications COO Amitava Mitra said, "Sachin evokes trust and high performance. Not only will banks, insurance companies and those selling financial products pursue him more than ever, but even youth brands will chase him because he is seen as a youth motivator. They would like Sachin to mentor their group. Simply put, Sachin is beyond the normal cycle of a sportperson" (TIMES OF INDIA, 11/19).
THE 'GOD OF CRICKET': In New Delhi, Prasun K. Mishra wrote Tendulkar "is addressed as the god of cricket by his fans but a village in southwestern Bihar has already started worshipping him as one by installing his statue." Bhojpuri actor and singer Manoj Tiwary and Kaimur district magistrate Arvind Kumar Singh on Tuesday "unveiled a life-sized (5.5 feet) statue of the Master Blaster at Tiwary’s village Atarwalia, in Kaimur district, about 170km southwest of state capital Patna." Tiwary also laid the foundation for a temple "which will be contructed to house Tendulkar's statue" (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 11/19).
