Virat Kohli's Puma stint ends, looks to build one8 brand

MUMBAI: Former India captain Virat Kohli has ended his long association with German sports brand Puma to join Agilitas as an investor, sources told TOI. Kohli had inked an eight-year contract with Puma as its brand ambassador in 2017 in a deal pegged at about Rs 110 crore. The cricketer, sources said, declined to extend the partnership, refusing a Rs 300 crore deal offered by the brand for the next eight years.

Puma India confirmed the end of the brand's partnership with Kohli. "Puma wishes Virat the best for his future endeavours....it was a wonderful association with him spanning over several years, many outstanding campaigns and path-breaking product collaborations. 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," a spokesperson from Puma said in a statement.

Consultancy firm Sporting Beyond, which handles Kohli's business interests, did not respond to queries. Kohli is now teaming up with Agilitas, a sportswear company co-founded in 2023 by former Puma India and Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly to expand the growth of his lifestyle and athleisure brand one8 which Kohli aspires to take global.