CSK star Deepak Chahar banks on IPL 2024 to take the next step in his startup journey

Cricketer Deepak Chahar is in no hurry to set targets for his two startups but is counting on the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) to take the next step in his entrepreneurial journey and expand his business.

His journey started with a fantasy gaming platform called Trade Fantasy Game in March 2023. A couple of months later, Chahar, a bowler for Chennai Super Kings, was swinging into action again when he launched DNINE Sports, a sportswear and cricket shoes outfit. In 2024, he is eying the IPL to launch a new range under DNINE Sports.

"The plan is to make a complete sports brand. So, after cricket shoes, we are entering the bigger market of running shoes and the market is huge for this. We will be launching running shoes just around the end of the IPL," Chahar told Moneycontrol.

The product range will be expanded with categories including sneakers and clothing.

"Then we will start opening stores. What I have learned is that people don't buy sports products too much online because people want to get the right size, fit and comfort. It is easy to reach people online. So, people see online and buy offline. For that, we need to have a strong distribution channel. We have covered at least 50 cities where we have good distributors and we are expanding to other places," Chahar said.

This is the right-arm medium pace swing bowler's plan for the next 2-3 years for his sports ventures.

Some glitches

The one-year-old Trade Fantasy Game (TFG) faced a challenge after goods and services tax (GST) of 28 percent was levied on the face value of the consideration paid last year.

"Business for fantasy gaming is a little slow, which is why we have not been able to meet our targets of 1 million downloads and revenue of Rs 3.5 crore in the first year of launch. This year's IPL will be very important for TFG as we have changed the app and we will be coming up with new features. We have also ramped up hiring from five in the team last year to 40," he said.

Taking it slow

During the IPL, Chahar sport DNINE cricket shoes with new spikes. The sports venture recorded sales of Rs 90 lakh in the past 4-5 months.

"When we started, our target was small, and we had 10,000 pairs of cricket shoes and we managed to sell more than 6,000 pairs of shoes. We will start making money when people start liking it. My aim is to make DNINE the best Indian sports brand, but it will take time," he said.

Chahar, 31, said he believes that one mistake that people make in life is that they want results quickly.

"One needs to have patience. There is a process, and one has to learn every day. This applies to everyone, especially parents who will invest time for education but will look for immediate results when it comes to sports or business. When I started playing cricket, I thought about giving 10 years to cricket. Same target I have given to my entrepreneurship and after that we will see where I have reached. I will be better than what I am today if I am willing to improve," the cricketer said.

The right fit

The venture is close to his heart because of his experiences with sportswear.

"I remember my struggles. Today also, I see a lot of young kids struggling because of not finding the right pair of cricket shoes which are affordable. A good pair of cricket shoes costs as much as Rs 15,000-18,000. Many can't afford these, and I remember even I couldn't when I had started my cricket journey. I always thought that someday, when I have enough money to start a business, I will make good cricket shoes at an affordable price," he said.

Chahar said DNINE has shoes priced from Rs 6,000.

"The reason I started the second business with cricket shoes is because for many years I had a contract with shoe brands and our feedback was taken but not implemented. For my brand, I took the feedback of my fellow cricketers and made the changes accordingly. In the last Ranji trophy season, 50 players had worn DNINE. Last IPL also we had a few players wearing the brand," Chahar said.

IPL in India

This IPL, Chahar is not only pumped up for the developments in his two businesses, which will be announced during the tournament, but also because for now, at least the first half of the league will be played in India.

The 17th season of the IPL will kick off on March 22, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai.

"I don't like playing IPL outside in India. However, for CSK it does not matter much because everywhere we go, we get an equal amount of support from the audience because of the brand CSK and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. So, everywhere it is a home game," Chahar said.

Work-life balance

As Chahar gears up for IPL as well as business growth, he highlighted the importance of maintaining good health.

On the recent incident of Nithin Kamath's mild stroke, Chahar said people in the corporate world don't keep a check on what they eat and on their workouts.

"I see my wife Jaya and how she struggles to take time out for a workout every day. So, I have to make sure she does take time out for exercise," he said.

He added that a good night's sleep and learning to know when to switch off are important.

"The secret of many athletes is to know when to switch off. When I am practising, I don't think about business and vice versa for business and when I spend time with my family. When people mix everything, that can get stressful... What one needs to make sure is when they go to sleep, they delete everything that has happened that day and wake up with a fresh mind the next day. I have seen people not being able to sleep under pressure. There are many athletes who before their next game are unable to sleep. I see life as a process. Your life and health are most important, and money can't buy happiness," Chahar said.