MS Dhoni, the captain of the India cricket team, has ousted his teammate Sachin Tendulkar as the most recognisable sportsman in the country - and the most likely to attract new commercial endorsements - according to a study by Percept Talent Management and Hansa Research.

Dhoni, the richest cricketer in the world according to Forbes, was handed the position after an extensive six-month survey taking in more than 12,000 people. Actors and singers were included alongside sportsmen and women, with research conducted on the basis of five parameters - popularity, persuasive power, image attributes, media presence and over-exposure.

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"Our study also reveals the top 10 celebrities in the Hindi speaking market," PTM chief executive Manish Porwal told Indiantelevision.com. "Here too, Dhoni tops the list while Shah Rukh Khan ranks second. Big B comes third, followed by Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif. Hrithik, Yuvraj, Sachin and Aamir are also part of the list."

Dhoni is also captain of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, the Twenty20 tournament that has swept the world of cricket.