UB withdraws controversial commercial

The Vijay Mallya-owned UB Group has decided to withdraw the controversial commercial featuring MS Dhoni that allegedly mocked Harbhajan Singh according to a legal notice sent by Avtar Kaur, the offspinner's mother. The UB Group said in a statement from its lawyer that Mallya had "graciously chosen to replace the commercial based on larger national cricketing interests, particularly at a time when the Indian team is engaged in a crucial test series".

Saying that the UB Group and Mallya had a significant stake in cricket, the statement claimed the notice had been instigated by vested interests and that there was no case against the commercial according to the group management and "clear-cut legal opinion".

The notice had demanded that the UB Group publicly apologise and remove the advertisement failing which legal action would be taken. The UB Group, however, said the commercial sent a message that Harbhajan, having "made it large," should now "change his goal post to be first among equals", and that there was no one better to send that message than MS Dhoni, "a close friend of Mr Harbhajan".