KL Rahul Invests in PlayBlue, Joins as Brand Ambassador
- PlayBlue will launch its 20,000 sq. ft. Bengaluru flagship and mobile app on November 14, 2026.
- The store will feature more than 75 sports and lifestyle brands.
- PlayBlue plans to expand to 100+ stores across 25 Indian cities over five years.
Indian cricketer KL Rahul has joined sports retail startup PlayBlue as an investor and brand ambassador ahead of the company’s flagship store and mobile app launch in Bengaluru on November 14, 2026. The amount invested by Rahul and the stake acquired have not been disclosed.
The company’s 20,000 sq. ft. flagship store is located on 80 Feet Road in Koramangala, Bengaluru. It will bring together more than 75 sports and lifestyle brands across apparel, footwear, sporting equipment, accessories, recovery products and sports nutrition.
As an investor, KL Rahul will become a stakeholder in the business, while his brand ambassador role will involve representing PlayBlue across marketing campaigns and consumer-facing initiatives.
Founded in 2025 by former GMR Sports CEO Satyam Trivedi and former Cult.fit executive Jayam Vora, PlayBlue operates as an omnichannel, multi-brand sports retail platform. The company plans to expand its network to more than 100 stores across 25 Indian cities over the next five years.
PlayBlue’s Flagship Store and Expansion Plans
Spread across three retail floors, a café level and a rooftop terrace, the Bengaluru flagship is designed to combine product retail with equipment testing, expert guidance and community-led sporting activities.
The store will offer services such as gait analysis, treadmill-based footwear testing and cricket bat sensors to help customers evaluate products before purchasing. Additional services will include racquet stringing, cricket bat knocking and bicycle servicing.
Its rooftop space, named The Playground, will feature a pickleball court, one-on-one futsal turf and a cricket net equipped with a bowling machine. The company also plans to host community classes, recovery sessions and sports club events at the venue.
The store will house Play Cafe x Kenko, an in-house café and nutrition space. Alongside the physical outlet, the PlayBlue app will offer quick deliveries across Bengaluru and a two-day delivery timeline for orders elsewhere in India.
The company is targeting a network of more than 100 stores across 25 cities within five years, although its ability to scale the large-format retail model across multiple markets will depend on store economics, customer demand and operating costs.
PlayBlue’s $2.7 Million Seed Funding and KL Rahul’s Investments
PlayBlue raised $2.7 million in a seed funding round in July 2026. The round was co-led by Centre Court Capital and MIXI Global, with participation from WEH Ventures.
The company planned to use the capital to launch its first flagship stores and develop its pan-India e-commerce platform.
KL Rahul has previously invested in consumer and technology businesses, including fitness brand Boldfit, innerwear company XYXX, mixed-reality startup Flam and lifestyle brand Metaman. His association with Boldfit began in 2024, when he joined the company as an investor and brand ambassador.
PlayBlue’s latest partnership adds another sports and consumer-focused business to KL Rahul’s investment portfolio.
The company’s approach combines multi-brand product discovery with specialist services and community spaces. Its upcoming Bengaluru flagship will be an early test of whether this integrated retail format can attract both regular sports participants and professional athletes as it expands beyond its first market.
