From Virat Kohli to MS Dhoni: Indian cricketers who have turned into smart investors

Virat Kohli investing in the International Premier Tennis League team UAE Royals is not the first time the cricketer has put his money in another sport. The Indian Test captain is also co-owner of Indian Super League team FC Goa. India’s ODI skipper MS Dhoni has also invested in other sports – he is the co-owner of ISL side Chennaiyin FC and Hockey India League (HIL) team Ranchi Rays. The World Cup winning wicket-keeper batsman is bike-crazy and has a Motor Racing Team called Mahi Racing Team India which now competes in the FIM Supersport World Championship. But it’s not just the superstars who, as Robin Uthappa says, “are blessed with a few excesses”. Cricket is a rewarding sport and with the advent of the Indian Premier League, even a one-season wonder can earn money which can be smartly invested. Here, we take a look at some of them who have already set the stepping stones to turn into businessmen in the future. [caption id=“attachment_2430466” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Sachin Tendulkar at the Wimbledon. Getty Images[/caption] Before Dhoni and Kohli, there was Sachin Tendulkar. International cricket’s highest run-scorer also has his money in other sports (ISL side Kerala Blasters and IPTL’s Indian Aces) and other varied business interests like travel portal Musafir, celebrity merchandise firm Universal Collectabilia and gaming and entertainment venture Smaaash. His restaurants ‘Tendulkar’s’ shut down a few years ago. [caption id=“attachment_2430396” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Dhoni is quite crazy about bikes. Getty Images[/caption] Dhoni has his money in three sports apart from cricket — football (where he keeps his Chennai Super Kings connection) with Chennaiyin FC, hockey with Ranchi Rays (his hometown) and of course the motor racing team. The fact that he makes Forbes’ richest sportspersons list year on year helps. [caption id=“attachment_2430400” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Kohli is following Dhoni’s footsteps. Getty Images[/caption] Kohli follows his skipper — but he’s chosen tennis as a sport to invest in. The IPTL goes around the world holding matches and this global presence is an attractive proposition. That, and having Roger Federer on your roster. “I have always followed tennis with great interest and today I am glad to be part of a professional tennis league team. I am a huge fan of Roger Federer and with him joining the UAE Royals, my decision to be on board with the team was firm,” Kohli said. [caption id=“attachment_2430410” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Ganguly now co-owns ISL side Atletico de Kolkata. Getty Images[/caption] Sourav Ganguly hired an IIM-C graduate last year to help him grow his business enterprise. The former India captain struck gold by collaborating with Spanish powerhouses Atletico Madrid to help set up his ISL side Atletico de Kolkata. This he juggles with his duties in the IPL governing council and the Cricket Association of Bengal. [caption id=“attachment_2430494” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Zaheer Khan. Getty Images[/caption] Zaheer has set up ProSport Fitness & Services along with popular trainers Adrian Le Roux and Andrew Leipus. Unlike Sachin’s restaurant venture, Zaheer’s seems to be doing quite well. His sports lounge - TOSS - set up in Pune in a couple of years ago, is still going strong. [caption id=“attachment_2430524” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Yuvraj went for a whopping Rs 16 crore to Delhi Daredevils for IPL 2015. Getty Images[/caption] The stunning amount of money Yuvraj makes from the IPL has gone into setting up more business ventures. A Business Standard report says: “YouWeCan Ventures, a company floated by Yuvraj, is helping young entrepreneurs to tap into new opportunities to build new brands. Its diverse portfolio includes Vyomo, an app for booking beauty services; Cartisan, an automotive service marketplace; Healthians, a marketplace for diagnostic labs; and EduKart, one of India’s leading education marketplaces. The latest addition to its basket is Cybiz BrightStar Restaurants, the restaurant chain that has been entrusted with running US-based burger chain Carl’s Jr in India.” Phew! [caption id=“attachment_2430528” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Getty Images[/caption] Robin Uthappa invested in startup firm iTiffin and apart from delivering/providing food to office-goers, also tied up with a school in Bangalore to provides food to 800 children. Uthappa may not be in the running for the India team, but collects a lot of moolah from the IPL and Karnataka Premier League. [caption id=“attachment_2430532” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Speedster Umesh Yadav. Getty Images[/caption] India pacer Umesh Yadav has become one of the mainstays for India and has smartly invested in a fashion portal called Fashionove. With e-commerce websites creating a lot of buzz, it makes complete sense to do so.