When cricketer Yuvraj Singh first thought of starting a business venture, it wasn't the idea of profit that drove him. He had just recovered from a cancerous tumour, and, after returning to international cricket with a bang, he felt it was the right time to look at activities beyond the game.

Singh wanted to support young entrepreneurs who had big ideas but little cash. So, in April this year, he launched his investment firm YouWeCan Ventures to provide financial assistance to start-ups, mostly e-commerce firms.

"I wanted to support young Indian entrepreneurs in building their next big Internet brands," Singh, Indian Premier League's (IPL) costliest player this season, says. The venture is keen to promote early stage companies requiring an angel investment of Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore. "The idea is to create jobs and make our daily lives better," he adds. The firm has already invested in Vyomo, a mobile app for beauty and wellness.

Using their brand name to start off-field ventures isn't new for cricketers - Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly entered the restaurant business a few years ago. The eateries failed to take off, but that didn't stop the new breed of cricketers from turning to business. The difference is that this time around they are not just looking at running sports academies or restaurants.

Test captain Virat Kohli, for instance, has launched a fashion line and a fitness chain. Virender Sehwag's heart is in a school run under his name in Haryana while Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the co-owner of a football franchise in the Indian Super League (ISL) and also has stakes in Hockey India League's (HIL) team Ranchi Rays.

Robin Uthappa became an entrepreneur thanks to his efforts at weight control. The Karnataka cricket ace was impressed with Qua Nutrition, a nutrition consultancy which helped him adopt a healthy diet. Uthappa encouraged the owners to launch iTiffin, a start-up offering healthy meals across Bangalore, and invested Rs 1.5 crore in the venture.

"Robin was a client who helped us take our business to the next level. He had faith in our idea," says Tapan Kumar Das, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), iTiffin. The delivery service, which offers specialised meals depending on age and health, is slated to begin operations in Delhi in July.

Clearly, the Men in Blue are looking at life beyond the field. According to Indranil Das Blah, partner, CAA- Kwan, a sports and celebrity management firm, it is the "short shelf life" of sportsmen that makes them consider business ventures while they're still a name to reckon with.

"The cricketer can use his brand name to create wealth even when off the field. But it should be a logical extension to the brand name," he adds.

Perhaps that's why Kohli decided to try his hand at fashion and fitness - areas where his attitude is an asset with clients. "Virat is a perfect brand fit and business partner for a fitness centre chain, as consumers relate to him as a fitness icon," says Dhruv Mullick, director-licensing, CSE Consulting, a sister concern of Cornerstone Sport, which handles Kohli's brand endorsements and has several other sport stars using their services.

In partnership with Kohli, Cornerstone Sports launched Chisel in February, a pan India chain of fitness centres based on a franchisee model. "The initial target is to open 75 franchisees over the next three years," Mullick says.

With changing business models, investments have become huge. "We have identified companies in healthcare, beauty, salon and spa, tech-logistics and education sector for future funding," says Nishant Singhal, co-founder of YouWeCan Ventures. The company reportedly plans to invest between Rs 40 crore and Rs 50 crore in the next three to five years.

Dhoni's fitness brand, SportsFit, has plans to launch 300 gyms in the coming years. The Indian skipper's businesses also includes 7 by MSD, a perfume for men, and an online fitness portal fitsoul.com. Dhoni is also the co-producer in his biopic MSD - The Untold Story, to be released later this year.

Insiders say that the cricketers are not just investing their money, but also taking an active interest in the projects. "Virat has provided his inputs into the training programmes that will be implemented in the gyms. He is very keen that each centre offer diverse fitness activities to cater to varying consumer needs," Mullick says.

The batsman has also started to license his name (read brand) to potential merchandising partners. His logo and animated avatar will be licensed out to a range of merchandise across categories. Earlier Tendulkar had developed a logo, but it was exclusive for a particular range of cricket bats.

The opening up of various sports leagues modelled on the IPL format is also a new business proposition for cricketers. Many have lined up to co-own teams lending star appeal to games other than cricket. Like Dhoni, Kohli has picked up a stake in a football team in ISL. Tendulkar, after calling off his restaurant business a few years ago, has bagged Kerala's ISL franchisee. Suresh Raina is co-owner of Uttar Pradesh Wizards, an HIL franchise team.

The fact that a celebrity is at the head helps the projects garner business.

"It helps if done in the right manner," says Anjana Reddy, CEO, Universal Sportbiz, the company that launched Kohli's fashion label Wrogn.

"Our young trendy menswear is in sync with Virat's attitude. It's a quirky line, one that personifies him as a youth icon," Reddy says. The brand launched in February has sold out most of its Spring Summer collection through online and offline partners.

Unlike their predecessors, today's cricketers are investing with a well-laid out strategy. "We advise them on business matters, too. We are here to make their life easier," Blah says. Dhoni, Singh and Kohli have a strong team of financial wizards who do the necessary groundwork and research before any kind of investment is made. The cricketers on their part provide key inputs to the business.

"We keep Virat abreast of all that is going on in the venture and often he gives us suggestions on designs," Reddy says.

Personal involvement in business brings in success. When bowler Zaheer Khan opened his food business in 2005 he ensured that someone from the family had a hospitality degree. "His younger brother studied hotel management as it was beneficial to have a family member who knew the tricks of the trade," says Biswa Majhi, corporate food and beverage manager, Zaheer Khan's (ZK) Hospitality. There are two restaurants and two lounge bars under ZK's in Pune and another one is opening up soon.

"We are also expanding to Mumbai shortly," Majhi says. "Besides authentic cuisine and plush ambience, Khan's constant involvement in the business has helped it grow," he adds.

For the cricketer-turned-entrepreneur, business is booming. And they are all ready to bring home the trophy.