Off the field: MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, other cricketers start up a different game
Cricketers, both past and present, are making equity investments or even turning founders of various new ventures, joining a growing cohort of celebrities looking beyond traditional endorsements.
MS Dhoni has acquired a stake in IPO-bound jewellery maker Bluestone, while venture fund Peak XV Partners is set to back star batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s sports shoe startup, said people briefed on the matter. According to filings, former cricketer Yuvraj Singh has taken a stake in sports athleisure firm Agilitas Sports, founded by Abhishek Ganguly, who was managing director of Puma India.
“From focusing on endorsement deals, athletes are now taking greater interest in equity deals, as well as deeper roles in company operations – especially for the ones who have retired from international cricket but built a large brand value,” said one person aware of the deals. “This is becoming a much bigger area of interest–similar to global celebrity deals.”
On August 14, ET first reported about Tendulkar’s collaboration with former Swiggy Instamart head Karthik Gurumurthy for launching his athleisure brand.
Celeb cricketers are also incubating new consumer businesses that are expected to emerge in the coming months, those familiar with the matter said.
Dhoni, among the earliest celebrities to back startups, has invested in a range of businesses, including drone startup Garuda Aerospace, Bengaluru-based fitness startup Tagda Raho, used car platform Cars24, and digital lending platform Khatabook, among others.
Singh, who formed
