Lawyer Drags MS Dhoni to Court Over ‘Captain Cool’ Trademark Claim

MS Dhoni‘s attempt to trademark the phrase ‘Captain Cool’ has hit a fresh legal roadblock.

A Delhi-based lawyer has raised an objection, claiming that Dhoni cannot hold exclusive rights to a generic phrase that is widely used. This comes just a week after the Trade Marks Registry accepted and published Dhoni’s application.

Why Dhoni Filed The Trademark

MS Dhoni, known for his calm leadership style, filed to trademark ‘Captain Cool’ for his future plans in training centres, sports coaching, and other ventures. The phrase has long been linked to Dhoni by fans and the media, and he wanted to secure it legally.

The application was officially published in the trademark journal on June 16, 2025.

What The Lawyer Said

According to a report by Bar and Bench, the lawyer argued that ‘Captain Cool’ is a common title, not unique to Dhoni alone.

“The term ‘Captain Cool’ is a generic, laudatory expression that has been used for multiple sportspeople. It cannot be monopolised by any individual, regardless of their fame,” the lawyer said in the objection.

He also warned that if Dhoni’s claim stands, others could start claiming phrases like ‘The Wall’ (Rahul Dravid) or ‘God of Cricket’ (Sachin Tendulkar) as trademarks too.

The lawyer even cited former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who was also called ‘Captain Cool’ in his playing days.

This is not Dhoni’s first hurdle. Earlier, he faced another case due to an existing claim under the same title, but won that battle and had the trademark registered under his name.

Now, he may have to return to court again to fight off this new objection.