India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has signed a long-term commercial deal with an Indian talent management firm worth a reported $40 million.
Tendulkar, currently recovering from shoulder surgery, signed a three-year deal which can be extended by another three years, a senior official of Saatchi and Saatchi, whose Indian firm ICONIX signed the contract, said on Thursday.
Domestic media reports said the deal was worth around $40 million, a huge jump from his previous five-year endorsement deal worth $17 million, which ended late last year.
"Tendulkar is still young at 33, he has just scored his (world record) 35th test hundred and still runs around the pitch like a youngster," V.Shantakumar, managing director of Saatchi and Saatchi in India, told Reuters on Thursday.
"We think there is a lot more to come from him. We are not concerned about that," he said, referring to the possibility of injuries.
Saatchi and Saatchi is part of the French company Publicis Groupe, the world's fourth largest advertising group.
Tendulkar, India's most capped test cricketer, also holds world records for the most one-day runs and hundreds.
He remains India's most famous sportsman, having achieved one landmark after another since making his India debut as a 16-year-old in 1989.
In 1995, he signed a five-year deal worth $7 million, which was renewed until the end of 2005.
"I'm delighted to be the first client for this new venture," the player said in a statement.
Tendulkar has been in and out of the side in the last two years after a tennis elbow injury and ligament tear in his shoulder required surgery.
The Mumbai batsman underwent shoulder surgery in March and is set to resume batting in the nets in the next few days. He will miss the one-day series in West Indies this month but could make his comeback for the four-test series which follows.
Good for him. Though, I would have thought he would be worth more than $40 million. But I guess thats a lot of money in India. Thats about 1,792,799,987 rupees.
