Star Sports on Thursday appointed Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador to promote Premier League football in India.

A Manchester United fan, Dhoni will invite fans to ‘Join the Game’ in a new campaign which will be launched early next week.

This news comes on the back of the sports broadcaster announcing the launch of Hindi commentary for the first time on Premier League. The Hindi commentary will be in addition to the English commentary and will be available for over 100 live matches across the season.

Speaking on the occasion, ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd. chief operating officer Vijay Rajput said: 'We are delighted to have M.S. Dhoni come on board as the brand ambassador for Premier League in the country. We are targeting to expand the fan base of the football league in India by leveraging the iconic power and fan following of Dhoni to attract cricket fans to sample Premier League.'

Speaking on the association, Dhoni said: 'I am an avid Premier League fan and I just played out a real situation in front of the camera. If I am not busy with cricket, I am always busy with Premier League during weekends. Football is extremely exciting and very close to my heart. I was a goalkeeper during my school days. Even today, I play football as a warm-up game ahead of key cricket matches.

'I feel that Indian sports fans should consume different types of sports. I want them to be passionate about cricket but at the same time one needs to give respect to other disciplines as well. It is critical to spread the message of overall sports development and promotion in the country.'