Indian Cricket Legends with their Investment in Startups
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Startups are a hard cookie to bite in. But for these Indian cricket players, it is just another pitch to show their talent. With this kind of dedication, practice, passion, and talent they have achieved the best in both the fields namely sports and business.
Indian cricket team players have been the face of numerous brands over the years. But with the startup culture flourishing and having a positive environment in the country, many cricket stars are showing interest in new ventures and are backing them up by investing both their time and money into business enterprises they believe are promising and relevant.
Here are some Indian cricketers who have invested in new-age startups:
Sachin Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh
Virat Kohli
MS Dhoni
Anil Kumble
Kapil Dev
FAQ's
Sachin Tendulkar
Also referred to as the God of Cricket this batting maestro has been the face of various brands over the years. After a successful cricketing career of 24 years, Sachin retired in 2013 and started his second innings with several ventures. Here is a look at the startups he has invested in. Â
Musafir
It is a travel company based in Dubai and was founded in 2007. Sachin was both the stakeholder and the brand ambassador of the company. Sachin Tendulkar exited the company in 2018 with â‚ą25 crores.
Smaaash Entertainment
Founded in 2009 it is a sports simulation technology based on various games like cricket, football, racing, and other recreational activities. It also hosts leisure activities that include a lounge, a spa, dining and music for men, women, and children as well as a gaming mall. The company was shut down in 2020 as the pandemic hit.
Sachin and Sanjay Narang
Sachin collaborated with the famous hotelier Sanjay Narang of the Mars group and opened restaurants. They are situated in the Colaba and Mulund areas of Mumbai and one in Bangalore.
Kerala Blasters of Indian Super League
Sachin was the co-owner of the Kerala Blasters franchise of the Indian Super League along with other investors. It’s a football team and the Kerala Football Association has full faith in Sachin’s and his entry is said to bring funding and revival of the game itself in the state. In 2018 Sachin sold his entire stake of ISL Kerala Blaster.
Mumbai Franchise of International Tennis Premier League -
Sachin has been known for his passion for Tennis and is a long time fan. He is the co-owner of the newly-formed Indian Tennis Premier League’s Mumbai Franchise.
Smarton India
In 2016, Sachin invested in the Bengaluru-based Internet of Things (IoT) company Smartron India and came on board as the brand ambassador of the company.
Yuvraj Singh
After successfully combating a cancerous tumour in his left lung and winning the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh started his foundation, YouWeCan. Established in 2015, it spreads awareness about cancer and the effects of the dangerous disease.
This fabulous batsman of the International Indian Cricket Team has inspired millions with his on-field and off-field batting. In 2011 after winning the World Cup he was diagnosed with cancer but he made an international comeback just in a year with newfound enthusiasm and courage.
YouWeCan Ventures
A part of YouWeCan is the YouWeCan Venture which is an initiative to provide support to budding businessmen. The start was initiated with the help of Nishant Singhal who is both the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer.
In 2017, YouWeCan Ventures backed the online table reservation platform EazyDiner and Yuvraj Singh became the brand ambassador for the app. YouWeCan’s portfolio also includes healthcare marketplace Healthians, Bengaluru-based automotive services marketplace startup Cartisan, Gurugram-based Startup Buddy, an online marketplace for private jets and helicopters JetSetGo and startup incubators and media funds. He also owns a sports-based e-commerce store Sports365.
PV Vyshnavi
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the captain of the Indian cricket team and also the new face of the Indian youth. He is one of the best batsmen in the world right now both on-field and off-field. Virat Kohli has earned accolades on the field and off-field made concrete plans for his retirement. Here is a look at some of Kohli's Investments.
Wrogn
Virat Kohli started his fashion brand with co-founder Anjana Reddy. It is a youth fashion platform for graphic T-shirts, lightweight denim jackets and collar shirts.
Chisel Gyms
Known as a fitness freak Virat Kohli has launched Chisel, a chain of fitness gyms and fitness centres. The startup recently introduced technology-enabled workout routines that aimed at addressing the youngsters of information technology workers.
UAE Royals
It's the franchise of the International Tennis Premier League. Virat is the co-owner of the franchise with Neelesh Bhatnagar and Sachin Gadoya. It has availed the 17 times Grand Slam Champion, Roger Federer.
FC Goa
It’s the franchise of the Indian Super League and was the first investment made by Virat Kohli at the age of just 25 years. He is the co-owner of this ISL team and holds stakes of 12%.
Zeeva - MuveAcosutics
Kohli partnered with Hong Kong-based consumer electronics company Zeeva in order to launch the audio equipment company MuveAcoustics in India.
Alan Joseph
MS Dhoni
The former captain of the International Indian cricket team’s both ODI and Test Cricket has ventured into multiple startups and businesses. Here is a look at some of the business ventures of MSD.
Ranchi Rays
It is a Hockey club franchise of the Hockey India League that is co-owned by Dhoni and the Sahara India Pariwar.
Chennaiyin FC
It is a Football club franchise of the Indian Super League that is co-owned by Dhoni, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vita Dani.
Mahi Racing Team India
With his interest in bikes, Dhoni has co-partnered this World Super Bike Championship team with Akkineni Nagarjuna.
SportsFit
Dhoni has co-founded his fitness brand in 2012. Sports Fit World Pvt. Ltd is a gym franchise with several stores open and functional in India already.
Cars24
In 2019, M S Dhoni invested in the online used car marketplace Cars24 as a Series D investor.
SEVEN
MS Dhoni has also launched a lifestyle brand SEVEN and owns the shoe section of the brand.
Khatabook
The cricketer has recently invested an undisclosed amount of equity funding in the Bengaluru-headquartered business ledger app, Khatabook.
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricket coach. He was one of the fourth-highest wicket-taker of all time.
Tenvic Sports
Anil Kumble co-founded TENVIC Sports with international table tennis player Vasanth Bharadwaj in 2010. The firm intends at rendering structured coaching to assist kids to stand out in a sport of their choice. It also caters to businesses and sports persons by providing training and mentoring, along with vision and ideas to help brands improve leverage in their marketing. Its clientele includes schools like Pearson and Delhi Public School. Corporate clients include IBM, Weber Shandwick, Accenture, Pepsi, HP, etc.
Arbaz Sayed
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev was the captain of India’s first World Cup-winning team. He was a fast-medium bowler and a hard-hitting middle-order batsman. He was widely recognized as one of the greatest all-rounders to play the game, he is also regarded as one of the greatest captains of all time.
PeopleEasy.com
As an angel investor, Kapil Dev has invested in online grocery startup PeopleEasy.com.
Samco Ventures
In 2015, the former Indian cricketer turned into a venture investor after picking up a stake in Mumbai-based Samco Ventures.
WizCounsel
Last year, Delhi-based online market network WizCounsel raised INR 1 Cr in an angel round led by the cricketer among others.
VAOO
Kapil Dev has also invested in VAOO, a Mumbai-based cab aggregator which offers free rides to passengers in return for viewing advertisements.
Conclusion
Indian cricketers have invested in numerous startups. Some of them are well-known and recognized in India. These startups are successful and also help the people in need. Startups like YouWeCan is helping cure cancer patients. Such startups should be encouraged as they help in the betterment of society and people in need. Many cricketers are trying their hand in startups and helping society. We can see many more startups invested by Indian cricketers in future.
FAQ's
Do cricketers invest?
Yes, many Indian cricket legends, like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli have invested in various startups.
What business does Sachin Tendulkar have?
Sachin Tendulkar has invested in startups like Musafir and Smaaash entertainment. The god of cricket also co-owns Kerala Blasters.
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