‘Puma tried to retain Virat Kohli but…’: RCB star to end INR 110 Cr deal, set to join start-up in historic move

Virat Kohli recently caught the attention of fans on social media, as he removed all promotional posts from his Instagram grid on Wednesday. It consisted of paid partnerships and advertisements, which were moved to the reels section instead. Since then Kohli’s home grid just has his own personal posts, and also content related to his One8 company. The reason behind the move has now been revealed in a report by Mint, and the RCB star is now set to join sports athleisure firm Agilitas as an investor. This move comes as his eight-year contract worth around INR 110 crore with Puma nears its end.

According to the report, an announcement regarding Kohli’s new partnership is set to be made during the ongoing IPL 2025 season. It is interesting to note that Agilitas was founded in 2023 by former Puma India and South-East Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly, and last year the company secured a long-term licence rights deal for Italian sports brand Lotto in India, South Africa and Australia.

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Virat Kohli's decision explained

Kohli’s decision comes due to his aim to grow One8, and Agilitas will distribute, scale the brand by opening more stores and expanding its coverage outside the country.

Speaking to Mint, a person close to the development, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The brand will be a significant part of Agilitas’s growth story.”

“It's all about turning One8 into a global brand—footwear, sportswear. India does not have an aspirational sportswear brand. There will be a new brand identity and relaunch for One8.”

Meanwhile, the anonymous source also revealed that Puma tried to retain Kohli, but he rejected the offer due to his ambition to build a global company in India. “Puma went back to Kohli with an offer to retain the cricketer, but he wants to build a global company from India,” the source said.

The report also mentions confirmation from an unnamed Puma spokesperson, who wished Kohli the best for the future. “As a sports brand, Puma will continue to actively invest in the next generation of athletes and aggressively build the future of the sporting ecosystem in India,” the spokesperson added.

Kohli has been in sensational form lately, and was recently part of India’s Champions Trophy 2025-winning squad, and has continued that in the ongoing IPL 2025 season for RCB.