Shilpa Shetty says IPL is a long-term investment for me

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who co-owns the IPL Rajasthan Royals team with her London-based businessman boyfriend Raj Kumdra, considers it a long-term profitable investment.

"Raj and I have thought of it as a long-term investment plan and I really think the way the Rajasthan Royals have turned out as a team has been spectacular," Shetty, who was in Johannesburg to support her team told the Times.co.za in an interview.

Shetty is the latest Bollywood celebrity to invest in the popular Twenty20 format of the game after Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Preity Zinta.

Shetty is the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, the winning team of 2008.

The IPL matches have been shifted to South Africa this year and will start from April 18.

Talking about her expectations from the team, the actress said, "Their (Rajasthan Royals) growth as a team and an investment has gone by leaps and bounds. It made money even last year, and it will continue to make money this year, despite the whole shift from India to South Africa."

Shetty said she liked the shorter format of the game as she never had the patience to spend whole day on cricket.

"I've always been a very impatient person. I always like to watch the last 20 overs. I've never had the patience to watch a whole match. This whole Twenty20 format for me is really interesting and I'm a huge fan of that," the actress said.

Asked to name her favourite cricketer, the actress said, "I think it's rather unfair of me to take just one player's name, especially when you're a co-owner. So I just simply say whoever makes the most runs, and gets the most wickets, for the Rajasthan Royals, becomes my favourite player."