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6/5/2026  •  7 min read

What shoes does Virat Kohli wear in 2026?

What shoes does Virat Kohli wear in 2026?

What Shoes Does Virat Kohli Wear in 2026?

Virat Kohli's footwear story in 2026 isn't just about what's on his feet — it's about the brand he chose to build instead of endorse.

The short answer: on the cricket field and beyond, Kohli wears one8 — his own brand, now operated as a standalone label under Agilitas Sports. The first signature cricket footwear line, including the Cover Drive 18 Pro spike and Seam XVIII Signature, opens globally on June 21, 2026, with pre-orders already live.

Here's the full picture, with the business shift that drove it.

Key Takeaways

What Shoes Does Virat Kohli Wear on the Cricket Field in 2026?

On the field, Kohli wears one8 cricket footwear — specifically the Cover Drive 18 Pro and Cover Drive 18 X spikes, designed and built from scratch under his creative direction at Agilitas Sports.

The product detail is worth pausing on. According to Outlook Luxe [https://luxe.outlookindia.com/fashion-beauty/couture/virat-kohli-expands-one8-into-a-sports-brand-launches-new-signature-shoes], Kohli reportedly rejected 17 design iterations before approving the final model. The shoe features a lightweight spike plate engineered for rapid acceleration and aggressive traction — built for explosive running between wickets, sudden directional changes, and the impact loads of an elite cricket workload. The "18" branding throughout the line is a direct reference to his jersey number, and the lifestyle counterpart, the Seam XVIII Signature Test Red, is deliberately priced at ₹9,230 — matching Kohli's final Test run tally, according to Kyro Sports [https://kyrosports.com/one8-unveils-virat-kohlis-new-signature-shoes-with-special-price-tag/].

The Cover Drive 18 Pro and Cover Drive 18 X cricket spikes are positioned as professional-grade performance footwear — the same category Kohli has worn his entire career, now under his own brand for the first time.

How one8 Became Kohli's Own Brand

one8 originally launched in 2017 as a collaboration brand under a larger sportswear partnership — design, manufacturing, retail and distribution were handled by an external partner, and one8 sat inside that company's umbrella. That arrangement ran for eight years.

The partnership ended in April 2025. According to Entrepreneur India [https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-in/news-and-trends/virat-kohli-sells-one8-to-agilitas-sports-invests-inr-40/500607], Kohli declined a renewal offer reportedly worth around ₹300 crore for eight more years, choosing instead to back Agilitas Sports — the Indian sportswear company founded in 2023 by Abhishek Ganguly, the former Managing Director of Puma India.

The deal was formally announced on December 8, 2025. According to Business Standard [https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/agilitas-sports-buys-virat-kohli-s-one8-cricketer-joins-as-investor-125120801235_1.html], Agilitas Sports acquired 100% of one8, and Kohli came on board as an investor with a ₹40 crore commitment to Agilitas. "Virat is no longer just a part of one8. He is now an investor and shareholder in the company," Ganguly told Business Standard. The brand will be developed as a standalone, independent label.

Speaking about the decision, Kohli said on X that what convinced him to invest was Ganguly's manufacturing capabilities, the team being built around it, and the chance to build something he believed could become "something big" rather than continue as an endorsement.

For Indian sports consumers, the structural shift matters: Kohli now owns equity in the brand making the shoes he plays in. That's a fundamentally different alignment than an endorsement contract, however large.

What This Says About Indian Sportswear in 2026

Kohli's shift to one8-under-Agilitas is one of the defining sportswear stories of the Indian decade. According to SportsPro [https://www.sportspro.com/news/finance-investment/virat-kohli-agilitas-one8-investment-puma-december-2025/], Agilitas has positioned the relaunched one8 as the foundation of what it calls "India's first high-performance global sports brand" — with plans to expand internationally to the US, UK and Australia.

The shift reflects a broader pattern. Agilitas already holds the 40-year exclusive license for Italian sports brand Lotto in India, Australia and South Africa, according to WHP Global [https://www.whp-global.com/news/whp-global-announces-new-license-with-agilitas-sports-for-lotto-in-india-australia-and-south-africa/]. With one8 added to the portfolio, the company is building a multi-brand sportswear platform out of India — manufactured locally through Mochiko Shoes in Noida, retailed through its own large-format stores like SportsYard, and led by a team that previously built the largest international sports brand in the country.

For Kohli, that infrastructure is what made the move credible. Endorsement contracts come and go. Building a brand with manufacturing depth, retail distribution, and serious capital behind it is a different ambition entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cricket shoes does Virat Kohli wear in 2026?

Kohli wears one8 cricket footwear — specifically the Cover Drive 18 Pro and Cover Drive 18 X cricket spikes (₹13,999), designed under his creative direction at Agilitas Sports. He reportedly rejected 17 design iterations before approving the final model, according to Outlook Luxe [https://luxe.outlookindia.com/fashion-beauty/couture/virat-kohli-expands-one8-into-a-sports-brand-launches-new-signature-shoes]. The "18" throughout the one8 line refers to his jersey number.

What is one8 and who owns it?

one8 is a sportswear brand co-founded by Virat Kohli, named after his jersey number 18. The brand was acquired in full by Agilitas Sports in December 2025, with Kohli joining as a co-founder and investor in the new structure, according to Business Standard [https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/agilitas-sports-buys-virat-kohli-s-one8-cricketer-joins-as-investor-125120801235_1.html]. Kohli invested ₹40 crore in Agilitas as part of the deal.

When does the new one8 cricket shoe launch?

one8's relaunched signature footwear line opens globally on June 21, 2026, with pre-orders currently live. The line includes the Cover Drive 18 Pro and Cover Drive 18 X cricket spikes (₹13,999), the Seam XVIII Signature Test Red (₹9,230, discounted from ₹10,000), and the Seam XVIII OG/Pavilion lifestyle sneaker (₹6,999), according to Kyro Sports [https://kyrosports.com/one8-unveils-virat-kohlis-new-signature-shoes-with-special-price-tag/].

Why does the Seam XVIII shoe cost ₹9,230?

The Seam XVIII Signature Test Red is priced at ₹9,230 to match Virat Kohli's final Test run tally. The full MRP is ₹10,000, a reference to his long-standing pursuit of the 10,000 Test runs milestone, according to Kyro Sports [https://kyrosports.com/one8-unveils-virat-kohlis-new-signature-shoes-with-special-price-tag/].

Who runs Agilitas Sports, the company behind one8?

Agilitas Sports was founded in 2023 by Abhishek Ganguly, former Managing Director of Puma India and Southeast Asia, along with Atul Bajaj and Amit Prabhu. The company is backed by Nexus Venture Partners and Convergent Finance, with strategic investors including Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Anushka Sharma, and Hardy Sandhu. Agilitas also operates Italian sports brand Lotto in India under a 40-year exclusive license, according to SGI Europe [https://www.sgieurope.com/corporate/virat-kohli-invests-in-agilitas-sports/118518.article].

Where can I buy one8 cricket shoes in India?

The one8 signature footwear line is available for pre-order ahead of the June 21, 2026 global launch through the official one8 channels. Distribution is being managed through Agilitas Sports' integrated retail network, which includes direct-to-consumer online, exclusive brand outlets, and multi-brand retail formats including SportsYard.

If you want to see what the relaunched one8 looks like — designed and engineered with Virat Kohli, built in India, opening June 21, 2026 — explore the line at one8.