MUMBAI: From cool finishes to cool trademarks MS Dhoni just scored another off-field win. The former India skipper’s bid to own the phrase “Captain Cool” for entertainment and sports services has crossed a major legal milestone, with the Indian Trade Marks Registry greenlighting his application for publication.
Filed under Class 41 for services spanning education, entertainment, cultural activities and sports training, the application originally submitted in June 2023 faced initial resistance from the Registry. The hurdle? A prior registration for Captain Cool under the same class by Prabha Skill Sports (OPC) Private Limited, which prompted a formal objection under Section 11(1) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
But Dhoni’s legal team wasn’t bowled over. At a hearing conducted under Rule 115 of the Trade Marks Rules, Advocate Mansi Aggarwal of Vidhi Samhita Advocates argued that “Captain Cool” is inseparably tied to Dhoni’s identity virtually synonymous with his calm, composed demeanour on and off the cricket field.
The Registry agreed. It held that the term, in Dhoni’s case, was unlikely to cause public confusion given its entrenched association with the cricketer. With that, the objection was waived and the mark was accepted for advertisement under Section 20(1) of the Act.
The application was officially published in the Trade Marks Journal on June 16, 2025, setting off a four-month statutory opposition window. Any third party that believes Dhoni’s registration infringes their rights or could mislead the public has until mid-October to raise a formal objection.
If no opposition is filed during this period, Dhoni will secure exclusive rights to use “Captain Cool” for services including sports coaching, entertainment shows, cultural events, and more, a fitting legal badge for a man who made calm look effortless under pressure.
Whether it’s chasing trophies or trademarks, MS Dhoni continues to play the long game and win.
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