10 players and their business ventures outside cricket

Did we ever see the tag of ’50 years of experience’ against the name of a footballer or cricketer? We didn’t, for a sportspersons’ professional life comes with an expiry!

Tendulkar’s 24-year-long career is considered a massive achievement. And it certainly is, by all the standards of the game. Any sportsperson who has stayed relevant, who has stayed inside the arena for a couple of decades becomes a legend. Because it is only this much it takes one to script a legendary story in sport.

A doctor can work till 60; an engineer, perhaps longer. There is effectively no end to the career of a lawyer, politician, or a teacher. But did we ever see the tag of ’50 years of experience’ against the name of a footballer or a cricketer? We didn’t, for a sportsperson’s professional life comes with an expiry!

20 years in any profession is not by any means a long career. But even as many years spent in a sport is considered an exceptional achievement. In the 143-year-old history of Test cricket, only 17 players have the distinction of having a career longer than 20 years. If one considers only the players who debuted in Tests in the last 50 years, the number reduces to a meagre 4. In ODIs, no more than 3 players have played over 20 years.

This makes it mandatory for the cricketers to indulge in activities beyond the 22 yards. Some turn commentators, some coach teams post-retirement, whereas some establish academies. But not everyone can secure themselves by these positions and therefore they rely on entrepreneurial activities and business ventures to keep the money rolling.

Let’s take a look at some prominent cricketers and their business ventures:

1. Sachin Tendulkar

The milestone-man from India is unarguably the best cricketing brain in the history of the sport. However, his mental acumen is not limited to his on-field feats with the bat, but also some lucrative ventures off the field.

His very first stint as an entrepreneur kicked off in 2002 when he unveiled a restaurant named “Tendulkar’s” in his birth-town Mumbai. Partnering with the renowned hotelier Sanjay Narang, Sachin soon came up with another eatery named “Sachin’s” in Bengaluru. However, both the restaurant have been shut long ago. He has an 18% stake in the 2009-founded “Smaaash Entertainment”, which provides tech-based sports stimulation and other leisure activities.

In 2011, the Future Group’s Big Bazaar launched a range of personal care products inspired by Sachin, named “Sach”. The ‘Little Master’ had a 7.5% stake in a UAE-based travel portal named “Musafir”, from where he exited in 2018, apart from which he owns a 26% stake in Universal Collectabillia Pvt. Ltd., celebrity merchandise and brand extension firm.

The ‘Master Blaster’ owns the Kerala Blasters, an Indian Super League (ISL) franchise, Bengaluru Blasters, a Badminton Premier League franchise, and the Mumbai franchise in International Tennis Premier League (ITPL).

The joint venture between himself and Arvind Fashion Brands Limited launched under the name “True Blue” in 2016, is his recent-most entrepreneurial activity. Apart from this, Sachin has been a brand ambassador of BMW, UNICEF, DBS Bank, Sony Ten, and more. He also has one personalized android and iOS-based cricket app named “100MB”.

2. Virat Kohli

The current Indian skipper is not just an inspiring leader and passionate cricketer on the field, but also a youth icon and an ardent investor. King Kohli, the co-director of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., earns in excess of a whopping 150 Crores from his brand endorsements including Audi Cars, MRF, Tissot, Puma, Google Duo, MPL, Blue Star, Boost, American Tourister, Flipkart, and more.

He entered into the world of fashion business in 2014 through his brand “Wrogn”, which is a tie-up of Myntra and Shopper’s Stop. The well-known fitness freak also owns a chain of gym and fitness centres in the name of “Chisel Fitness”. Another prominent business venture of Kohli includes his deal with the renowned brand Puma for his brand One8, which offers branded apparel, accessories, footwear, flavoured and vitamin waters, and energy drinks.

VK has monetized his social media posts on Instagram where he endorses various brands as paid promotions. Further, he has partnered with Zeeva, a Hong-Kong based electronic company, to launch MuveAcoustics, a personal audio brand. He has to his name a mobile application “Virat Kohli official app” which allows his fans to stay close to him and also purchase various merchandises of the brands he endorses.

Kohli co-owns FC Goa, UAE Royals, and Bengaluru Yodhas– ISL, ITPL, and Pro Wrestling League franchises respectively. He is the proud owner of the London-based tech start-up “Sport Convo”, supported by renowned footballer and Welshman Gareth Bale, meant for letting sports enthusiasts communicate with each other. Kohli is also a partner of “Stepathlon Kids”, an online community meant to motivate children aged between 8-12 years to be physically active.

3. MS Dhoni

One of the most popular faces in the cricketing world, Captain Cool has made many rewarding investments over the years. He is the proud owner and co-founder of Sports Fit Pvt. Ltd., a health club and fitness studio which aims to encourage people to take fitness as a necessity. MS is the founder-director of Dhoni Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., a non-government company registered at Jharkhand, founded in 2019.

Mahi, like his counterparts Sachin and Virat, is the co-owner of an ISL franchise, Chennayin FC, along with Abhishek Bachchan. He also co-owns Ranchi Rays, his hometown-based franchise of Hockey India League (HIL). Dhoni’s undying love and passion for bikes are well-known and he owns “Mahi Racing Team India”, a Supersport World Championship team.

MSD has been associated with SEVEN- a fitness and lifestyle brand-  and he also owns the footwear segment of the brand apart from being its brand ambassador. The former captain has a share in Rhiti Sports, an integrated sports marketing and management firm. The one-off hotel located in Ranchi named “Hotel Mahi Residency”, is probably his least known acquisition.

Apart from investing in a tech-enabled firm named “Cars 24” meant for selling used cars, Dhoni has also been an ambassador of various renowned brands such as Reebok, Gulf Oil, Ashok Leyland, Sony Bravia, Amity University, Boost, Indian Terrain, RedBus, Mastercard India, Bharat Matrimony, Snickers, Netmeds and many more.

4. Sourav Ganguly

The marvellous southpaw from the yesteryears has been known for being busy always- be it as a captain, a player, a batsman, an administrator, or an entrepreneur. He is the director of Sourav Ganguly Enterprises Private Limited, a non-government company registered at Kolkata, founded in 2010.

‘Dada’, ex-President of Cricket Association Bengal (CAB) and the incumbent President of BCCI, co-owns Atletico De Kolkata, an ISL franchise. He hosted an eight-season-long Bengali quiz show, “Dada Unlimited”, as well as the Bengali adaptation of the famous television quiz show “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, originally hosted by the legendary megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

His fine-dine restaurant named “Sourav’s – The Food Pavillion” was closed after it underwent financial losses. He also invested in a digital start-up “Flickstree” which is an artificial intelligence-enabled video-publisher network which seeks to increase user engagement within the various website and mobile applications.

He is the current brand ambassador of the DTDC campaign, a logistic solution provider, and also the face of Mycircle 11, an online fantasy game for cricket nuts to showcase their cricketing acumen and analytical skills. The ex-President of the Editorial Board with Wisden India, Ganguly, has also endorsed the brands of Puma, Essilor Lens, Senco Gold, and Tata Tetley.

5. Virender Sehwag

The former Indian opener has entertained millions through his intrepid style of batting in the past. However, there is no scarcity in the entertainment quotient of Viru even after he has retired, as he keeps tickling people through his wittily funny remarks on social media and commentary box.

Sehwag is the co-founder and director of World of Viru Pvt. Ltd., a non-government company registered at Delhi, founded in 2018. In a joint venture with Stitched Textiles Pvt. Ltd., Sehwag launched a line of affordable sportswear and sports equipment named “VS”.

Viru is also an education entrepreneur and has taken up an extremely noble cause by opening “Sehwag International School”. The school located in Jhajjar, Haryana has been operational since 2011 and aims to impart education keeping sports, extra-curricular activities, and all-round nurturing of children in mind. He has endorsed certain major brands such as Adidas, Reebok, Hero Honda, Boost, and Samsung Mobiles.

6. Yuvraj Singh

A dedicated and laborious cricketer on the field, Yuvraj is a multifaceted and shrewd businessman off it. A life-changing moment that brought everything to a sudden halt came for him in 2011, when he was diagnosed with cancer. Utilizing his time on the hospital bed, Yuvi came with an idea of starting a non-profit organization, “YouWeCan”. It soon materialized as a philanthropic campaign to empower people, especially children, to battle cancer through awareness, prevention, and early detection.

Yuvi has extended YouWeCan venture into a business model through which he assists budding entrepreneurs in brand building and devising effective marketing strategies.  He has invested in a plethora of startups such as Edukart (mobile-based Edu-tech startup), Healthians (healthcare and diagnostics app), Sports 365 (online sports and fitness company), Vyomo (app-based wellness platform), SportyBeans (multi-sport program), Moovo (online packers/movers booking platform), Black White Orange (brand licensing startup), JetSetGo (booking platform for booking jets and helicopters online) and Cartisan (automobile service marketplace).

Apart from launching YRal, his owned digital marketing platform, Yuvi has endorsed many brands such as Pepsi, Reebok, Puma, Cadbury, Revital, Birla Sun Life, Whirlpool, Arial, Laureus & Benz, Royal Mega Stag and many more.

7. Anil Kumble

The legendary Indian spin wizard is often seen dedicating time to wildlife photography. Letting out his engineering instincts, the engineer turned cricketer turned coach turned engineer has made a unique blend of technology and cricket through his startup Skeptacom Technologies, in collaboration with the cloud computing giant, Microsoft Azure.

A path-breaking invention of his enterprise is the “Power Bat”- a sensor-embedded willow that uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to record real-time batting insights such as bat speed, power, force, timing, and the quality of the shot. All the data and metrics can be viewed by connecting the Power Bat with a phone app.

‘Jumbo’ is also the founder of “TENVIC Sports: To ENsure VICtory”, with international table tennis star, Vasanth Bharadwaj. Founded in 2010 with a vision of positively impacting the lives of people through sport, the consultancy has been rendering structured coaching and training to kids pursuing various sports. Apart from Pearson and Delhi Public School as its clients, TENVIC’s corporate clientele includes IBM, Accenture, Pepsi, and Hewlett Packard (HP).

8. Gary Kirsten

A mighty successful international cricketer from South Africa and the World Cup-winning Indian coach is not just known for his cricketing and coaching skills but has made his name amidst the most successful cricketers turned investors as well.

Partnering with friend Paddy Upton, Gary came up with his first venture named “Performance Zone”. The primary aim of the project was to help the players to remain fit and improve their on-field performance. He is the founder of the Gary Kirsten Foundation (GKF), which focuses on the creation of sporting ecosystem and quality coaching assistance. Kirsten also runs the renowned cricket academy, Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy (GKCA), a subsidiary of GKF that has Adidas, Oakley, GM, and Coco-Cola Beverages as partners.

The 52-year-old collaborated with Cape Africa Tours to start “Gary Kirsten Tours & Travels”, a successful travel company of his own in South Africa.

9. Chris Gayle

“The Universe Boss” Gayle, is known for his brutal carnage with the bat, entered into the business world by opening a sports bar and restaurant named “Triple Century 333”.

The Jamaica-born cricketer also invested in FlippAR, an augmented reality venture based in Bengaluru, India. Gayle, renowned for his funky and cool fashion style, is also the brand ambassador of a fashion brand named Attitude.com. In 2015, he had set up “The Chris Gayle Academy” under the aegis of Chris Gayle Foundation that aims to help the underprivileged children in Jamaica and the United Kingdom. Ever since its inception, the academy has been providing mentoring and coaching facilities to budding cricketers.

Gayle has also invested in IONA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., a one-stop virtual gaming and entertainment hub for Indian sports enthusiasts. He has bought a stake in Spartan Sports, an international company with a wide range of sports products and equipment. The 40-year-old endorses Sandals Resorts as a deal with West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). His other endorsements include brands such as Jio and Royal Stag as a part of his deal with his IPL franchise, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).

10. Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan was known for his abilities to swing the ball both ways and his adept mastery of reverse swing. Post-retirement he has been around by mentoring in the IPL and performing the role of an expert analyst at Television shows.

The renowned fast bowler has also made some profitable investment post-retirement. He is the founder of Pro Sport Fitness, a fitness club that provides training, physiotherapy, injury management, and nutritional counselling. Primarily located in Mumbai, Pro Sports aims to expand all over India with a strategy of the franchise model.

Zak is the founder-director of Zaheer Khan Pvt. Ltd., a fine-dine company, and has invested in the line of restaurants. His first brand under the company was “Zaheer Khan’s Dine Fine” in Pune. He opened another sports lounge named “Toss” in Pune under his company’s establishment. Zaheer is the co-owner and brand ambassador of the renowned clothing retail brand Sher Khan.