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CSK superstar cashing in on IPL 2024 to expand his shoe business. Know more about strong appeal
Cricketer Deepak Chahar said, “The plan is to make a complete sports brand.”
Cricketer Deepak Chahar's entrepreneurial journey began with a fantasy gaming platform called Trade Fantasy Game in March 2023. After this Deepak Chahar- bowler for Chennai Super Kings- launched a sportswear and cricket shoes outfit DNINE Sports. This time, he is set to launch a new range under DNINE Sports, he said.
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"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," Deepak Chahar told Moneycontrol.
He added, “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.”
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Deepak Chahar on fantasy gaming
On fantasy gaming, the cricketer said that the business “is a little slow, which is why we have not been able to meet our targets of 1 million downloads and revenue of ₹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.”
Deepak Chahar on his new cricket shoes
Now, during the IPL, Deepak Chahar will sport his DNINE cricket shoes with new spikes.
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"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.
"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.
