India's ODI captain eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to figure ninth in the list
India's most successful One-Day International captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has beaten football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to secure ninth place in the list of the world's 'most marketable athletes', compiled by the London School of Marketing.
The top 20 list, topped by Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer, has the 34-year-old Dhoni ranked below tennis world No 1 Novak Djokovic (ranked 8th).
Former world No 1 golfer Tiger Woods was named the second most marketable sportsperson, while Rory McIlroy came in sixth.
Dhoni also surpassed the likes of Maria Sharapova, Usain Bolt, Barca forward Neymar, boxer Floyd Mayweather and British tennis star Andy Murray.
The complete list:
1. Roger Federer – Tennis
2. Tiger Woods – Golf
3. Phil Mickelson – Golf
4. LeBron James – Basketball
5. Kevin Durant – Basketball
6. Rory McIlroy – Golf
7. Novak Djokovic – Tennis
8. Rafael Nadal – Tennis
9. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Cricket
10. Cristiano Ronaldo – Football
11. Kobe Bryant – Basketball
12. Maria Sharapova – Tennis
13. Lionel Messi – Football
14. Usain Bolt – Track
15. Neymar – Football
16. Andy Murray – Tennis
17. Kei Nishikori – Tennis
18. Derrick Rose – Basketball
19. Floyd Mayweather – Boxing
20. Serena Williams – Tennis