Thirty-four lives,every single year ! Little Master has often described this as his most fulfilling third innings. Bravo Brand “Sunny”.
By Rahul Das
PMG: The Birth of sports management in India :
In October 1985, two years before his final international appearance, Gavaskar did something unprecedented. He co-founded the Professional Management Group with advertising executive Sumedh Shah.This was India’s first dedicated sports marketing firm. The inspiration came from Mark McCormack’s International Management Group, which had revolutionized athlete representation in the West.
But Gavaskar and Shah understood that India needed a different approach.The founding moment came when Shah asked Gavaskar what he charged for an endorsement. Gavaskar admitted he did not know.Shah told him this ignorance was the primary obstacle to professionalizing Indian sports. If athletes did not know their value, they would always be underpaid. PMG was created to solve this problem.
Their first major venture was a lesson in market reality. They brought the Swedish Davis Cup team to India. Mats Wilander was world number one. Stefan Edberg was rising. PMG secured these players for a fraction of their global fees. But Indian advertisers were not interested.They kept asking if John McEnroe was coming. The event lost money.
But it taught Gavaskar a crucial lesson. In India, sports marketing meant cricket. Everything else was secondary.PMG pivoted. They pioneered the sponsored syndicated column in 1986, allowing Gavaskar and other stars to write expert pieces sponsored by brands. This brought elite cricket analysis to regional newspapers that could never afford direct contracts with national stars.They produced Sunil Gavaskar Presents, the first sports show on Indian television that bypassed the Doordarshan monopoly on commentary style.
They developed interactive CD-ROMs and VHS coaching tapes with Citibank, early prototypes for the digital sports content that would dominate the 21st century.By 2022, PMG was reporting revenue of 1.63 million dollars, focused on sponsorships and consulting. The company Gavaskar built while still playing had outlasted his playing career by decades.
Commentary: The second career that never ends :
Gavaskar’s second career began before his first one ended. He entered the commentary box with the same technical rigour he brought to the crease. Today, he is one of the highest-paid commentators in the world.He earned approximately 4.17 crore rupees for a single IPL season in 2025. As per a Sportskeeda report, Gavaskar reportedly earns around Rs 2.14 lakh per match and close to Rs 47.24 lakh for an entire series as a commentator.
Over the years, he is said to have made nearly Rs 35.92 crore from commentary alone, along with about Rs 18.9 crore from his IPL assignments since the tournament began.But this is not just about money. Commentary became Gavaskar’s way of protecting and extending his brand. He speaks with what critics call resolute zeal. He focuses on technical details that younger commentators miss.This mirrors his batting exactly. He guarded his off-stump with his life.
Now he guards the integrity of cricket analysis with the same intensity.In 2025, he successfully petitioned the Delhi High Court to protect his personality rights, restraining entities from using his name, images, or persona through deepfakes or AI without consent. Brand Gavaskar is a valuable commercial asset, and he protects it with the vigilance he once used against the West Indian fast bowlers.
The CHAMPS Foundation: Standing by Forgotten Heroes
In January 1999, The CHAMPS Foundation was
formed to support former Indian international athletes who had fallen on hard times.The foundation was started by Sunil Gavaskar along with Late Nana Chudasama, Khalid Ansari, Mrs. Marshniel Gavaskar and former India cricketer Gundappa Viswanath.
CHAMPS stands for Caring, Helping, Assisting, Motivating and Promoting Sportspersons.At that time, India had many trusts for education and health. But none focused only on retired international athletes. Hockey players. Boxers. Footballers. Table tennis champions. Men and women who once wore India colours but later struggled financially.CHAMPS filled that gap.
Over the years, it has quietly supported several former sportspersons with financial assistance and dignity. Today, the board includes Sam Balsara and Noomi Mehta, continuing the original vision.This is Gavaskar the institution builder.
Saving little hearts: A different kind of century :
If runs defined his first innings, children define his third.Gavaskar serves as Chair of Heart-to-Heart Foundation and is a Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centres for Child Heart Care.These centres provide completely free heart surgeries for children born with congenital heart disease.
No caste. No religion. No nationality. Just treatment.In tribute to his 34 international centuries, Gavaskar sponsors 34 child heart surgeries every year.Think about that. Thirty-four lives, every single year.He has often described this as his most fulfilling third innings.
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Sports Funda: Brand “Sunny” still shining in his 3rd innings !
Thirty-four lives,every single year ! Little Master has often described this as his most fulfilling third innings. Bravo Brand “Sunny”.
By Rahul Das
PMG: The Birth of sports management in India :
In October 1985, two years before his final international appearance, Gavaskar did something unprecedented. He co-founded the Professional Management Group with advertising executive Sumedh Shah.This was India’s first dedicated sports marketing firm. The inspiration came from Mark McCormack’s International Management Group, which had revolutionized athlete representation in the West.
But Gavaskar and Shah understood that India needed a different approach.The founding moment came when Shah asked Gavaskar what he charged for an endorsement. Gavaskar admitted he did not know.Shah told him this ignorance was the primary obstacle to professionalizing Indian sports. If athletes did not know their value, they would always be underpaid. PMG was created to solve this problem.
Their first major venture was a lesson in market reality. They brought the Swedish Davis Cup team to India. Mats Wilander was world number one. Stefan Edberg was rising. PMG secured these players for a fraction of their global fees. But Indian advertisers were not interested.They kept asking if John McEnroe was coming. The event lost money.
But it taught Gavaskar a crucial lesson. In India, sports marketing meant cricket. Everything else was secondary.PMG pivoted. They pioneered the sponsored syndicated column in 1986, allowing Gavaskar and other stars to write expert pieces sponsored by brands. This brought elite cricket analysis to regional newspapers that could never afford direct contracts with national stars.They produced Sunil Gavaskar Presents, the first sports show on Indian television that bypassed the Doordarshan monopoly on commentary style.
They developed interactive CD-ROMs and VHS coaching tapes with Citibank, early prototypes for the digital sports content that would dominate the 21st century.By 2022, PMG was reporting revenue of 1.63 million dollars, focused on sponsorships and consulting. The company Gavaskar built while still playing had outlasted his playing career by decades.
Commentary: The second career that never ends :
Gavaskar’s second career began before his first one ended. He entered the commentary box with the same technical rigour he brought to the crease. Today, he is one of the highest-paid commentators in the world.He earned approximately 4.17 crore rupees for a single IPL season in 2025. As per a Sportskeeda report, Gavaskar reportedly earns around Rs 2.14 lakh per match and close to Rs 47.24 lakh for an entire series as a commentator.
Over the years, he is said to have made nearly Rs 35.92 crore from commentary alone, along with about Rs 18.9 crore from his IPL assignments since the tournament began.But this is not just about money. Commentary became Gavaskar’s way of protecting and extending his brand. He speaks with what critics call resolute zeal. He focuses on technical details that younger commentators miss.This mirrors his batting exactly. He guarded his off-stump with his life.
Now he guards the integrity of cricket analysis with the same intensity.In 2025, he successfully petitioned the Delhi High Court to protect his personality rights, restraining entities from using his name, images, or persona through deepfakes or AI without consent. Brand Gavaskar is a valuable commercial asset, and he protects it with the vigilance he once used against the West Indian fast bowlers.
The CHAMPS Foundation: Standing by Forgotten Heroes
In January 1999, The CHAMPS Foundation was
formed to support former Indian international athletes who had fallen on hard times.The foundation was started by Sunil Gavaskar along with Late Nana Chudasama, Khalid Ansari, Mrs. Marshniel Gavaskar and former India cricketer Gundappa Viswanath.
CHAMPS stands for Caring, Helping, Assisting, Motivating and Promoting Sportspersons.At that time, India had many trusts for education and health. But none focused only on retired international athletes. Hockey players. Boxers. Footballers. Table tennis champions. Men and women who once wore India colours but later struggled financially.CHAMPS filled that gap.
Over the years, it has quietly supported several former sportspersons with financial assistance and dignity. Today, the board includes Sam Balsara and Noomi Mehta, continuing the original vision.This is Gavaskar the institution builder.
Saving little hearts: A different kind of century :
If runs defined his first innings, children define his third.Gavaskar serves as Chair of Heart-to-Heart Foundation and is a Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centres for Child Heart Care.These centres provide completely free heart surgeries for children born with congenital heart disease.
No caste. No religion. No nationality. Just treatment.In tribute to his 34 international centuries, Gavaskar sponsors 34 child heart surgeries every year.Think about that. Thirty-four lives, every single year.He has often described this as his most fulfilling third innings.
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