Shark Tank’s Ritesh Agarwal reacts to Virat Kohli choosing a Rs 2,058 cr Indian sportswear company over Puma’s Rs 300 cr deal: ‘This is a sign that…’

Renowned cricketer Virat Kohli's most notable venture thus far is the athletic lifestyle brand, One8. (Credit: Facebook/@virat.kohli)

Celebrities turning entrepreneurs is no longer hot news. In fact, once they have achieved financial independence and established themselves in their respective fields, most people invest in firms of their choice to grow their assets and build financial security. Renowned cricketer Virat Kohli, who served as the captain of the Indian cricket team across all formats previously, is no different. While he has made many commercial investments over the years, Virat’s most notable venture thus far is the athletic lifestyle brand, One8.

Although it was launched in 2017 in collaboration with the German sports lifestyle brand Puma, Virat ended their partnership after the completion of an eight-year contract and decided to join forces with Agilitas Sports, an Indian sportswear company founded in 2023, afterwards. Recently, entrepreneur Ritesh Agarwal, CEO of OYO Rooms, commented on Virat’s move, calling it a sign that India’s business sector was thriving, in contrast to popular perception.

During a conversation with SCREEN, Ritesh pointed out, “Kohli left a massive deal with Puma and invested his own money in Agilitas to set up a company. Once someone asked him, ‘If not a cricketer, what would you have been?’ He immediately replied, ‘Businessperson.’ This is a sign that it’s (the business scene in India) is going very well.” Ritesh also serves as a judge on the business reality television series Shark Tank India.

After completing a Rs 110 crore eight-year contract with Puma as its brand ambassador in April 2025, Virat decided not to renew the deal, despite the German brand offering Rs 300 crore for another eight years, as reported by the Times of India. Subsequently, Agilitas Sports acquired One8, and Virat joined the former as an investor. Additionally, he invested Rs 40 crore in Agilitas Sports — founded by Abhishek Ganguly, who previously served as the managing director of Puma India and Southeast Asia — becoming a minority shareholder, as reported by Marca Money. According to a June 2025 Entrackr report, Agilitas Sports is valued at Rs 2,058 crore.