Bhajji, Dhoni in spirited rivalry over surrogate liquor ads

Call it a teaser before the real battle in England. Three days before India kick off a do-or-die tussle to defend their No. 1 Test ranking, the “spirit” seems to be bubbling in the India camp. HT reports.

Call it a teaser before the real battle in England. Three days before India kick off a do-or-die tussle to defend their No. 1 Test ranking, the “spirit” seems to be bubbling in the India camp.

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A legal notice has been slapped on the UB Group by Harbhajan Singh’s mother, asking them to pull out an advertisement featuring Mahendra Singh Dhoni that “ridicules” the bowler. When contacted, a UB spokesperson said the company had no comments to offer as yet.

The feisty bowler and his skipper have featured in surrogate advertisements for rival liquor brands.

While Harbhajan’s advertisement for Royal Stag Mega Cricket has a tagline “make it large”, the commercial featuring Dhoni for McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum Soda shows a Harbhajan look-alike being slapped by his father for making huge ball bearings, with the character asking himself, “Have I made it large?”

Dhoni’s punch line is about making a difference rather than making it large. Harbhajan’s representative, however, was quoted as saying that too much should not be read into the notice and that all was well in the India camp.