Does the captain still take it all? The changing dynamics of cricket ads

Over the past four decades, since brands began hiring cricketers for endorsements, the captain of the Indian team has always had a distinct edge and a clear advantage. Brand managers have invariably favoured the captain over any of his team members.

 

Sunil Gavaskar, India captain in most of the Indian cricket team’s outings from 1978 to 1985, was amongst the first to feature in commercials — his Dinesh suitings campaign and his Thums Up ads were trendsetters of the 1970s and ’80s. None of the famous spin quartet — Bishan Singh Bedi, EAS Prasanna,  B S  Chandrashekhar, or Srinivas Venkataraghavan,