Dhoni, Sania are a cracker of a pair

Patna, Nov 8 (IANS) Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be lighting up Diwali not just with his cricketing shots but also with firecrackers that have been named after him and are selling like hot cakes in Bihar. Although they have been priced at a stiff Rs.550, firecrackers named after the stylish wicketkeeper-cum-batsman are in high demand here.

Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza is not far behind Dhoni in the popularity charts. Crackers named after the two sports personalities are more popular than those named after politicians and Bollywood film stars in the state.

“Lalu bombs, Lalu engine, Nitish phataka and Rabri phuljhari are no match for Dhoni and Sania this time. Even crackers named after Bollywood actresses like Aishwariya, Kareena, Zinta and Juhi are not much in demand,” Karim Ahmad, a shopkeeper, said Thursday.

“In the wholesale and retail markets, Dhoni is the number one choice,” Anil Kumar, another shopkeeper, said.

Twentysix-year-old Dhoni hails from Ranchi in neighbouring Jharkhand. His panache for hitting big sixes and riding fast motorbikes has helped him acquire the status of a youth icon.

“Each packet of Dhoni bomb is being sold for Rs.550, and those named after Sania are being sold for Rs.500 in Patna,” Mahesh Singh, a shopkeeper, told IANS.

Till last year, firecrackers named after Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi were very popular here even though they were voted out of power in the state. Nitish Kumar has been ruling Bihar for nearly two years but he lags behind in popularity

In Bihar, firecrackers named after US President George W. Bush and Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden also did brisk business two years ago.

N.K. Thakur, general secretary of the Bihar Chamber of Commerce, said firecrackers worth Rs.300 million are likely to be sold this year ahead of Diwali, which will be celebrated Friday.

“About 100 truckloads of firecrackers have come from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu,” Thakur said.