There is something different about Virat Kohli that sets him apart from every other cricketer who has tried to build a business. It is not his fame, his run tally, or the millions of people who follow his every move. It is something quieter and far more dangerous — a refusal to stop. Call it obsession. Call it discipline. He calls it “Never Done.” And right now, that philosophy is powering something that could change Indian sportswear forever.
From the Pitch to the Boardroom — A Journey Built on Repetition
Most people know the cricketer. Fewer know the builder behind the brand. Kohli’s journey into entrepreneurship did not happen overnight, and it was never just about putting his face on a product. The man who spent years fine-tuning his batting technique through thousands of hours in the nets has brought that same energy into building One8 — a sportswear and lifestyle brand that he did not just lend his name to, but shaped from the ground up.
The number 18 carries weight for Kohli. It is more than a jersey number. It is a badge of identity, tied to some of the most defining chapters of his career. When he chose to anchor his brand around that number, it was not a marketing decision — it was personal. It was a statement that whatever came next would carry the same spirit of the person who wore that number on the field.
Seventeen Rejections Before the Perfect Eighteen
One of the most telling stories about how seriously Kohli approached One8 is what happened during the product development phase. When the design team began working on the brand’s cricket footwear, Kohli did not simply glance at prototypes and nod along. He reportedly rejected 17 different versions before finally signing off on the 18th. Not a minor tweak here or a colour change there — full rejections, each one sending the team back to the drawing board.
That kind of behaviour from a brand founder is almost unheard of. Most celebrity-backed labels are built around endorsement deals: your name goes on the product, you show up for a launch event, you post on Instagram, and the brand does the rest. Kohli refused that route. He sat through phone calls, attended virtual design reviews, and gave detailed feedback on every iteration — all while managing a packed cricket schedule.
The final product that emerged from that process was the “Seam XVIII Signature Test Red,” a cricket shoe priced at Rs 9,230 — a number chosen deliberately to mirror the exact tally of runs Kohli scored in his Test career before stepping away from the format in May 2025. The red colourway is a tribute to the traditional Test cricket ball. The white stitching echoes the seam. Every detail tells a story. That is not a product — that is a legacy packed into leather and rubber.
One8 Finds a Powerful New Home
The evolution of One8 took a dramatic turn in late 2025 when Kohli agreed to transfer ownership of the brand to Agilitas Sports, a Bengaluru-based sportswear company led by Abhishek Ganguly — a man Kohli had worked closely with for years during his time partnering with Puma. In a deal that spoke volumes about Kohli’s long-term thinking, he not only sold the brand but also invested Rs 40 crore back into Agilitas to become a co-founder of the One8 vertical.
This was not a sellout. It was a scale-up. By joining forces with a company that already had serious infrastructure, supply chain capabilities, and international ambitions, Kohli essentially traded a smaller stage for a much bigger one. And unlike his earlier chapter with Puma — which he walked away from after reportedly turning down a renewal worth Rs 300 crore for eight more years — this time, he holds a stake in the outcome. He is not just a face on the box. He is invested in what is inside it.
The brand’s global ambitions are not small talk either. One8 has set its sights on expanding across 50 countries, aiming to position itself as a home-grown Indian brand that can genuinely compete with the likes of Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour on the world stage. That is an audacious goal. It is also, if you know Virat Kohli, exactly what you would expect him to aim for.
A Tagline That Is More Than Marketing
“Never Done.” Two words. But anyone who has followed Kohli’s career knows they carry the weight of a thousand early morning gym sessions, a thousand times he pushed himself when others would have coasted, and a thousand moments when he chose growth over comfort.
The tagline is not a campaign slogan invented by a creative agency. It is a reflection of how Kohli actually lives. He has spoken publicly about losing his father at a young age and how that loss became fuel rather than anchor. He has talked about a song that resonated so deeply with his personal journey — one that captured hardship, persistence, and the refusal to settle — that he began listening to it before walking out to bat. That emotional rawness became the DNA of the brand. When One8 says “Never Done,” it is not speaking to consumers — it is speaking to survivors, to grinders, to the people who know what it feels like to rebuild yourself from nothing.
The Products: Cricket Roots, Global Reach
One8’s footwear collection launched with clear intent. The lineup features three distinct franchises — Seam, Cover Drive, and Boom Rush. The first two are cricket-inspired, named after the technical language of the sport. The third, Boom Rush, is a multi-activity training shoe designed for runners and gym-goers, signalling from day one that this brand is not staying in one lane.
Pricing is positioned firmly in the premium segment. Cricket spikes are listed at Rs 13,999, while lifestyle variants start at Rs 6,999. This is deliberate. One8 is not chasing the budget buyer — it is chasing the person who sees their gear as an extension of their identity, someone who wants performance backed by purpose.
The brand has already begun attracting attention beyond India’s borders. Several English cricketers have reportedly shown interest in the products, and Indian women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana was spotted wearing One8 apparel — organic endorsement that money cannot easily buy.
Why This Matters Beyond the Brand
What Virat Kohli is doing with One8 matters for reasons that stretch beyond sneaker sales and sportswear shelves. For decades, Indian athletes who reached the top of their sport became walking billboards for Western brands. They wore their logos, appeared in their campaigns, and collected their cheques. The idea of an Indian athlete building something that could actually compete with those giants on a global level was largely treated as fantasy.
Kohli has flipped that script. By taking creative control, by investing his own money, by rejecting shortcuts — he has built something that carries credibility because it carries real skin in the game. If One8 succeeds in its ambition to reach 50 countries and become a genuine performance brand, it will not just be a business win. It will be a cultural moment for Indian sport.
The Man Behind the Brand Is Still the Man on the Field
What makes Kohli’s entrepreneurial story so compelling is that he never stopped being a cricketer while building it. He was managing matches, tours, and team pressure even as he sat in on design reviews and product calls. The same discipline that turned him into one of the greatest batters of his generation is the exact same discipline powering his boardroom decisions.
That is the point of “Never Done.” It is not about refusing to rest. It is about refusing to stop growing. Whether it is adding a run to his total or adding a product line to his brand, the hunger is the same. The clock is always running. The work is never finished.
And for Virat Kohli, that is not a burden. That is exactly how he likes it.
Ghananand is the Founder & Chief Editor of NewzStrome. Hailing from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, he brings 1.5 years of hands-on experience in journalism and digital media. He delivers sharp, unbiased, and timely news from India and across the globe. Passionate about investigative reporting, technology, politics, and lifestyle, Ghananand is committed to bringing readers nothing but the truth