Cricketers Who Play Padel: Root, Taylor, Dhoni & Nottingham's Cricket-Padel Scene

Cricket & padel · Sport crossover · Updated June 2026

Britain hit one million padel players in 2026, with 860,000 adults and juniors playing in 2025 — more than double the 400,000 who played in 2024. The LTA now projects 1,300 courts by end of 2026. It is against this backdrop that cricket’s biggest names are putting their names and capital into the sport.

Joe Root: England’s batting legend co-owns a padel club in Sheffield

Root is England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer and one of the five co-founders of Play Padel Sheffield, which opened at Abbeydale Tennis Club in spring 2025 as South Yorkshire’s first dedicated indoor padel venue. The group includes former Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United goalkeeper Cameron Dawson, entrepreneurs Harry Bliss and Chris Millard (CEO of the Barmy Army), and founder Alex Fleming.

The club operates on a pay-and-play basis with no membership, featuring three doubles courts, a singles court, a café bar, retail area and coaching programme. Root said at the launch: “Padel is such an exciting, social sport — and seeing so many people get involved already has been amazing. Bringing something like this to Sheffield with people I’ve grown up with is really special.”

The success of the first venue led Play Padel Group to submit a planning application in December 2025 for a second site adjacent to Meadowhall shopping centre — a 36,100 sq ft conversion creating seven double courts and one singles court. Planning approval was granted in February 2026, with the venue expected to open in summer 2026.

James Taylor: bringing padel to Nottingham

James Taylor’s cricket career ended at 26 when he was diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a serious heart condition discovered mid-innings for Northamptonshire in 2016. He later became an England selector, helping to oversee some of the team’s most successful years. His Instagram bio now reads: “padel addict.”

In January 2026, Taylor was announced as a co-founder of Padelplex — a new padel leisure complex planned for Nottingham, on Redfield Way next to a Showcase cinema. The venture is led by Nottingham hotelier Richard Johal and Rob Darby, founder of 200 Degrees Coffee, with Taylor as co-founder and ambassador. The development would feature five covered outdoor padel courts alongside a hospitality pavilion with a snack bar, indoor seating and changing facilities. Planning permission has been submitted to Nottingham City Council, with the founders hoping to open for their first visitors in summer 2026.

Taylor said: “I’ve been looking for a new project for a while now, to channel my passion for fitness and sport within my own local community. Padel is quick, simple and most importantly it is accessible to all. Padelplex will be all about the service our visitors receive, right from the moment they arrive. We want to create a space where people feel part of our padel community.”

Taylor’s connection to Nottingham runs deep — he played for Nottinghamshire for much of his career and has remained in the city. The Padelplex venture brings a high-profile cricket name to the Nottingham padel scene alongside the city’s existing venues at Pure Padel, David Lloyd West Bridgford and Nottingham Padel Centre.

MS Dhoni: 7Padel and India’s padel expansion

On 7 August 2025, MS Dhoni launched 7Padel — his own padel brand — with the opening of its first centre in Palavakkam, Chennai. The 7Padel name takes his iconic No. 7 shirt and connects it directly to the sport. Dhoni played padel at the inauguration alongside music composer Anirudh Ravichander, with current CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad also attending.

The 7Padel facility includes three padel courts alongside a pickleball court, swimming pool, gym, recovery room, café and sauna. Dhoni said: “Chennai has always been special to me. The city has given me so much on and off the field, and it feels only right to launch my first padel centre here.”

Steve Finn: from Ashes winner to padel player

Steve Finn retired from professional cricket in August 2023 and has since become one of cricket’s most recognisable broadcasters, appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Test Match Special, BBC TV Sport, TNT Sports and Sky Sports. He is also co-host of the Zero Ducks Given podcast and author of The Ashes Files (2025).

Away from the mic, Finn is a regular padel player — part of a growing circle of former England cricketers who have taken up the sport in retirement. His tall fast bowler’s frame translates well to padel’s overhead game, and the sport’s social format suits a broadcaster who stays closely connected to the cricket community.

Samit Patel: Nottinghamshire legend and padel convert

Samit Patel gave 22 years to Nottinghamshire, scoring over 21,000 runs and taking more than 700 wickets before retiring from domestic cricket in April 2026. He represented England in six Tests, 36 ODIs and 18 T20Is and is one of Trent Bridge’s most beloved figures.

Patel has been a padel regular in the Nottingham cricket community — a sport that has taken hold quickly among former county players who appreciate its competitive doubles format and social structure. For someone who played team cricket for two decades, the transition to padel’s partner-dependent game comes naturally.

Why cricketers take to padel

Cricketers and padel: the full picture

Cricketer	Padel connection
Joe Root	Co-founded Play Padel Sheffield (opened spring 2025); Meadowhall venue approved February 2026
James Taylor	Co-founding Padelplex Nottingham; planning submitted January 2026; “padel addict” (Instagram); photographed at Pure Padel Nottingham in the Corcuera 1969 Retro Tee
MS Dhoni	Launched 7Padel brand; opened first centre in Chennai August 2025; played padel at the opening
Steve Finn	Regular padel player in cricket broadcasting circles since retiring in 2023
Samit Patel	Regular padel player in the Nottingham cricket community since retiring April 2026

• Footballers who play padel
• Padel levels explained
• Pure Padel Nottingham
• Beginner’s guide to padel

FAQs: cricketers and padel

+Does Joe Root play padel?

Yes. Root is a co-founder of Play Padel Sheffield, which opened at Abbeydale Tennis Club in spring 2025. A second venue adjacent to Meadowhall was approved in February 2026 and is expected to open in summer 2026.

+Does James Taylor play padel?

Yes. Taylor, whose England career was curtailed by a heart condition in 2016, describes himself as a “padel addict” on Instagram and has been photographed playing at Pure Padel Nottingham. In January 2026 he was announced as co-founder of Padelplex, a new padel complex planned for Nottingham.

+Does MS Dhoni play padel?

Yes. Dhoni launched 7Padel — his own padel brand — in August 2025 with the opening of a multi-court facility in Palavakkam, Chennai. He played padel at the opening event.

+Does Steve Finn play padel?

Yes, according to those within English cricket circles. Finn retired from professional cricket in 2023 and is now a BBC and Sky broadcaster. He plays padel regularly.

+Where is James Taylor’s padel club in Nottingham?

Padelplex Nottingham is planned for Redfield Way, next to a Showcase cinema. The development features five covered outdoor courts and a hospitality pavilion. Planning permission was submitted to Nottingham City Council in January 2026, with an expected opening in summer 2026.