Cricketer KL Rahul Backs Sports Retail Startup PlayBlue as It Opens a 20,000 Sq Ft Bengaluru Flagship and Targets 100 Stores in 25 Cities

India's sporting ambitions are increasingly playing out not just on fields and courts but in shopping aisles, and one of the country's best-known cricketers is placing a bet on the trend.

KL Rahul, the Indian batter and wicketkeeper, has joined PlayBlue, a sports retail startup, as an investor and brand ambassador, according to Inc42, which reported the development on Thursday, November 12. The investment comes days before PlayBlue opens its flagship store in Bengaluru. The size of Rahul's investment was not disclosed.

Rahul has a growing portfolio of startup investments, including fitness brand Boldfit, augmented reality company Flam, innerwear brand XYXX and menswear brand Metaman, according to Inc42.

The founders

PlayBlue was founded in 2025 by Satyam Trivedi, former chief executive of GMR Sports, which co-owns the Delhi Capitals franchise in the Indian Premier League, and Jayam Vora, a former executive at fitness company Cult.fit, according to Inc42.

"We're building the store we wanted to walk into ourselves," Vora said.

The company raised $2.7 million, or ₹25.7 crore, in a seed round in July, co-led by Centre Court Capital and MIXI Global, with participation from WEH Ventures. Centre Court Capital, a sports-focused fund, had recently closed its maiden fund at ₹410 crore, according to Inc42.

A destination store

PlayBlue's Bengaluru flagship is designed as more than a shop. The 20,000 sq ft store on 80 Feet Road spans three retail floors, a café level and a rooftop called The Playground, which features a pickleball court, a futsal turf and a cricket net with a bowling machine, according to Inc42.

The store sells sports apparel, footwear, equipment, accessories, recovery products and sports nutrition. It also offers services such as gait analysis, treadmill-based footwear testing, cricket bat sensors, racquet stringing, bat knocking and bicycle servicing.

PlayBlue's mobile app launches on Saturday, November 14.

Expansion plans

PlayBlue plans to open more than 100 stores across 25 Indian cities within five years, according to Inc42. When it raised its seed round in July, the company said it was targeting 150 stores over five years, a community of more than 1 crore users and revenue of ₹100 crore, along with operational profitability by its next fundraise.

The company has not disclosed its revenue.

The sports market opportunity

India's sports market is projected to more than double to $130 billion by the 2029-30 financial year, from $52 billion in 2023-24, according to a Google-Deloitte report cited by Inc42. Growth is being driven by rising incomes, health awareness, the popularity of leagues such as the IPL and the Indian Super League, and the rapid rise of sports such as pickleball and padel in urban India.

Vora has said that the sector needs more than 15,000 new sports retail touchpoints and that India's sports and active lifestyle market is expected to cross $30 billion by 2035.

Competition

PlayBlue competes with Decathlon, the French sporting goods retailer that has built a large network of stores in India, as well as SportsJam, Heelium, Agilitas and others, according to Inc42. Global brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma operate their own stores, and e-commerce platforms sell a wide range of sporting goods.

PlayBlue's strategy of combining multi-brand retail with experiences such as rooftop courts and expert services aims to differentiate it from both large-format retailers and online platforms.

Investor caution

Despite the market's growth, investor interest in sports startups remains lukewarm, according to Inc42. Some companies have raised significant funding: Boldfit, also backed by Rahul, raised about ₹400 crore in an October Series B led by Bharat Value Fund, and SportVot raised ₹32.7 crore in April, led by IAN Alpha Fund. But overall funding for the sector has been modest compared with consumer technology or fintech.

Physical retail requires substantial capital for stores, inventory and staff, and profitability depends on footfall and sales per square foot.

Celebrity investors

Indian cricketers and film stars have increasingly invested in startups, often combining capital with brand ambassadorships that give companies visibility. Players such as Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar have backed consumer, fitness and technology companies.

For startups, a celebrity investor can boost awareness and credibility, particularly in consumer-facing sectors. For athletes, startup investments offer a way to build wealth and business interests beyond their playing careers.

The pickleball boom

PlayBlue's decision to put a pickleball court on its rooftop reflects one of the fastest-growing trends in urban India. Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, has attracted players of all ages, and new courts are opening across major cities. Padel, a racquet sport popular in Spain and Latin America, is also gaining ground.

Experience-led retail

Retailers around the world have experimented with experiential stores that offer services, events and spaces to play or try products, as a way to compete with online shopping. The idea is that customers will visit for the experience and buy products while there, and that a strong in-store experience builds loyalty that carries over to online channels.

For sports retail, the approach is particularly natural: customers can test footwear on a treadmill, try a racquet on a court or knock in a cricket bat before buying. PlayBlue's model bets that these services will draw customers who might otherwise buy online.

Bengaluru as a testing ground

Bengaluru, with its large population of young professionals and active sports culture, is a natural place to test the format. The city has seen rapid growth in pickleball courts, running clubs and fitness communities. Success there could provide a template for expansion into other major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune.

For KL Rahul, the investment adds to a portfolio that spans fitness, fashion and technology, reflecting a broader trend of athletes building business interests that align with their personal brands and interests.

The company will also need to build an online presence that complements its stores, since many sports buyers research and compare products online before purchasing.

What comes next

PlayBlue will open its Bengaluru flagship and launch its app in the coming days. Investors will watch footfall, sales and how quickly the company can replicate the format in other cities. For India's sports retail sector, PlayBlue's experiment with destination stores and celebrity backing will test whether experience-led retail can win customers in a market dominated by large-format and online players.