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Cricket’s unprecedented success in India has made cricketers the best-paid athletes in the nation. After earning a huge chunk of money every year, cricketers get the opportunity to fulfill their dreams easily. Some buy luxurious houses and cars, while there have been a few business-minded players establishing restaurants.
Team India legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Virender Sehawag were active in the restaurant business, but they didn’t succeed and exited the sector eventually. However, Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan are some names who are still booming in this business. Talking about modern names, there are five such players whose restaurant should be a must-visit for a foodie.
Below, SportsTiger has listed five Indian cricketers who own restaurants that everyone must visit.
5. Suresh Raina: Raina Indian Restaurant
Former star player Suresh Raina served Team India from 2005 to 2018, and during this period, he won a lot of matches for the side and also played an instrumental role in helping the team win the World Cup 2011. After retirement, he does Hindi commentary but apart from that, he is also a businessman who owns a restaurant.
In June 2023, he inaugurated Raina Indian Restaurant in Amsterdam. In his eatery house, an Indian food lover can find a variety of dishes such as pani puri, samosas, pizza margherita, dal makhani, palak paneer, and more with desserts such as gulab jamun, rasgulla, and gajar ka halwa.
4. Shikhar Dhawan: The Flying Catch
Shikhar Dhawan played for Team India efficiently for 12 years from 2010 to 2022, and during this period, his biggest contribution to the side was his batting in the Champions Trophy 2013. Riding on his sensational batting performance, India lifted the Champions Trophy for the second time. In August 2024, he bid adieu to all forms of the sport.
A year before his retirement, he opened a sports cafe in Dubai. He named his cafe ‘The Flying Catch.’ The name was inspired by some of his best grabs as a fielder in his international career. Dhawan’s objective with this restaurant is to attract people with healthy lifestyles to serve them nutritious food.
3. Ravindra Jadeja: Jaddu’s Food Field
Before becoming a player in competitive cricket, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s family was financially unstable but now the veteran player is not just a successful cricketer but also in the restaurant business since 2012. The 36-year-old opened ‘Jaddu’s Food Field’ in 2012 and after six years of its establishment, the restaurant also went through massive modifications for visitors.
2. MS Dhoni: Shaka Harry
World Cup 2011-winning captain MS Dhoni has earned an unprecedented level of respect from fans for his colossal contribution to Team India. Dhoni has also earned a lot of money during his colossal competitive cricketing career. Dhoni has revealed his love for food several times. In December 2022, he corroborated his fondness for food after establishing Shaka Harry in Bengaluru. The legend’s restaurant aims to promote veganism.
1. Virat Kohli: One8 Commune
Virat Kohli has pulled off incredible success in his huge cricketing career. The batting maestro is one of the highest-paid batting athletes in the world. In 2017, Kohli entered the restaurant business with the launch of One8 Commune restaurant in Delhi. After its success in Kohli’s hometown, he opened its branches in Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, and Bengaluru.
