Smriti Mandhana, vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, has invested an undisclosed amount in a Gurugram-based ayurvedic company. Mandhana, who is ninth in the ICC Women’s ODI rankings, will also be Neem Ayu’s brand ambassador.
According to a report by the Economic Times, Mandhana invested in the company because of “immediate trust” and her faith in Ayurveda. She is expected to help the company with its ‘digital-first’ strategy.
Mandhana joins a list of Indian cricketers who have business investments and she is reportedly the first Indian woman cricketer to do so. Here is a list of them.
Kapil Dev
The former captain, who led the country to its maiden World Cup win in 1983, was among the first cricketers to become an investor. He launched SloPho, a mobile app that allows people to play games and participate in contests, polls and quizzes. He was also the angel investor in PeopleEasy.com, an online grocery portal.
In 2005, he picked a 5 per cent stake in Zicom Electronics. Later, in 2015, he picked an undisclosed stake in Samco Ventures.
MS Dhoni
Dhoni, another former Indian Captain who led the country to its second World Cup victory in 2011, has also invested in a number of brands. In 2012, he launched a brand called SportsFit to provides diet plans and fitness solutions.
Sachin Tendulkar
In 2016, the cricket legend invested in an Internet of Things (IoT) company, Smartron India. He is also the brand ambassador of the company. He also owns a 7.5 per cent stake in Musafir, S Drive and Universal Collectabilia, according to Inc42.
Virat Kohli
Kohli has been an active investor since the age of 25. The latest addition to his long list of investments is Rage Coffee. He has also invested in companies like Galactus Funware Technology Pvt Ltd (owner of Mobile Premier League), Digit Insurance, and Blue Tribe among others.
He also has his own clothing brand Wrogn and a restaurant chain by the name of One8 Commune.
Robin Uthappa
Uthappa has invested in an online tiffin service, iTiffin. He invested an undisclosed amount in Bangalore-based HealthEminds, a healthcare start-up. He has an investment fund called Caffeine Ventures
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