Samantha Ruth Prabhu announces her association with the World Pickleball League as owner of the Chennai franchise
Samantha literally just acquired the ownership of the Chennai franchise of the World Pickleball League
Samantha, who has made her mark as a sports entrepreneur, has announced that she will own the Chennai franchise of the World Pickle Ball League. Samantha made the announcement official by posting a picture of herself and Gaurav Natekar from the launch event on her Instagram handle, along with the caption, “Exciting news! I am thrilled to partner with @worldpickleballofficial and join as the owner of the Chennai franchise. Pickleball fever is spreading across India. It’s time for India to step up”
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Speaking to Mint at the launch event held in Mumbai, Samantha said, “Through this investment in the World Pickleball League, I hope to help make sports more accessible, enjoyable and engaging – especially for young people. There is a strong connection between sports and personal development, and I believe investing in sports can bring long-term benefits to society.”
With Samantha becoming the latest owner of a sports franchise in India, here is a list of Indian celebrities who own sports franchises.
1. Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan
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Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are set to own the Kolkata team of the Indian Street Premier League from January 2024. The league claims to be India's leading tennis ball T10 cricket tournament which will be played inside the stadium complex. The move was in line with their Pataudi legacy and cricket flowing in their blood.
2. Abhishek Bachchan
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Abhishek Bachchan owns not one, but two sports franchises; including the Jaipur Pink Panthers team in the Pro Kabaddi franchise. He has also co-bought the Chennaiyin FC football team of the Indian Super League. His Jaipur Pink Panthers won the first championship of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2014 and Chennaiyin FC also won the ISL 2015 and 2018 editions, solidifying Abhishek's status as a sports entrepreneur.
3. Preity Zinta
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Preity Zinta is one of India's first celebrity sports team owners. She co-bought the Punjab Kings team in the Indian Premier League. Originally called Kings XI Punjab, the franchise was renamed to its current name in the year 2021. Currently, the team is owned by Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta, Karan Paul, and Mohit Burman. When it was originally purchased in 2008, the team was owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, and Preity Zinta in a ratio of 2:1:1 and is currently worth an estimated US$925 million.
4. Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla
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Red Chillies Entertainment and Juhi Chawla along with her husband Jay Mehta co-own the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise of the Indian Premier League. It is a professional cricket team that represents Kolkata in the IPL tournament since 2008. At that time, it was bought at a price of $75.09 million and is currently worth $16.4 billion after becoming the champion in 2024. Apart from this, Shah Rukh Khan also owns a majority stake of 55 percent in the team, which earns him around Rs 70 to 80 crore per year.
From Samantha owning the Chennai franchise of the World Pickleball League to Shah Rukh Khan owning the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, it is indeed an exciting time for Indian celebrities and sports.
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