{
  "id": 19656428,
  "title": "PlayBlue Taps KL Rahul As Investor, Eyes 100-Store Sports Retail Network",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/playblue-taps-kl-rahul-as-investor-eyes-100-store-sports-retail",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-12T12:59:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Inc42",
    "slug": "inc42",
    "url": "https://inc42.com/buzz/playblue-taps-kl-rahul-as-investor-eyes-100-store-sports-retail-network/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sports retail startup PlayBlue has enlisted cricketer KL Rahul as an investor and brand ambassador in preparation for its opening of a flagship store in Bengaluru. The 20,000 sq ft store, located on 80 Feet Road, will include three retail floors, a café level, and a rooftop terrace. PlayBlue's product line encompasses sports apparel, footwear, equipment, accessories, recovery products, and nutrition. In addition to its retail offerings, PlayBlue plans to provide services such as gait analysis, footwear testing, cricket bat sensors, racquet stringing, and bicycle servicing. The rooftop area, called The Playground, will feature a pickleball court, futsal turf, and a cricket net with a bowling machine. The company aims to expand to over 100 stores across 25 Indian cities within the next five years. PlayBlue was founded in 2025 by Satyam Trivedi and Jayam Vora, both former executives in the sports industry. With $2.7 Mn (₹25.7 Cr) in seed funding secured in July, PlayBlue is positioned to capitalize on the rapidly growing Indian sports market, which is projected to exceed $130 Bn by FY30.",
  "summary": "Sports retail startup PlayBlue has onboarded cricketer KL Rahul as an investor and brand ambassador days ahead of launching its…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}