Virat Kohli has made his debut on professional networking platform LinkedIn, using his first post to highlight his growing business interests in India’s sports industry, with Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella personally welcoming the former India Captain.
The 37-year-old cricketer joined the Microsoft-owned platform on October 13, introducing his involvement with Agilitas Sports and one8world to a professional audience. His arrival marks another development in his transition towards entrepreneurship, with his business activities increasingly extending beyond conventional athlete endorsements.
Rather than introducing himself through his cricketing achievements, Kohli chose to focus on his investment activities and ambitions for the Indian sporting goods sector. His LinkedIn profile identifies him as a professional athlete associated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), an Agilitas investor since 2025 and a one8world Co-founder since 2026.
Microsoft CEO welcomes Kohli to LinkedIn
Kohli’s arrival attracted a response from one of the platform’s most prominent corporate leaders, with Nadella joining the conversation beneath the cricketer’s inaugural post.
The Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented: “My feed just got even more interesting. Welcome to LinkedIn, Virat! And congrats on your next chapter with one8world.”
Nadella’s intervention brought together two globally recognised figures from technology and cricket, with the exchange taking place on a platform owned by Microsoft.
Kohli’s first post also generated substantial engagement among LinkedIn users. Within seven hours, it had attracted more than 14,000 reactions, approximately 700 comments and 300 reposts. Within three days, those figures had climbed to more than 94,000 reactions, over 2,900 comments and upwards of 1,600 reposts.
His follower count crossed 240,000 within 24 hours, with a subsequent figure reaching 378,702 and continuing to rise. The rapid response accompanied his introduction of a business strategy centred on developing Indian sporting products and brands.
Kohli outlines his ambitions for Indian sport
The central theme of Kohli’s LinkedIn debut was his belief that India could become a more significant participant in the international sports industry, both through athletic development and commercial enterprise.
Writing in his first post, the former India Captain stated: “I’ve always wanted to see an India where every sport is followed, celebrated, and played. Today, that vision feels closer than ever. A new generation is proving that India can produce world-class athletes and build brands for the global stage.”
His commercial interests extend beyond the one8 name, with his Agilitas investment placing him alongside a wider group of individuals backing the company’s development.
Kohli continued: “The vision of building an end-to-end sports platform from India, spanning manufacturing, consumer brands, and sports distribution. A belief that India can help shape the future of global sport, not just participate in it.”
Inside Kohli’s Agilitas investment and one8world partnership
Kohli has committed ₹40 crore (approx. US$4 million) of his own capital to Agilitas Sports, a company established in 2023 by former Puma India and Southeast Asia Managing Director Abhishek Ganguly alongside Atul Bajaj and Amit Prabhu.
Agilitas operates with a vertically integrated strategy covering product development, manufacturing and retail. Kohli’s investment connects him to a business with operations extending across different stages of the sporting goods industry.
Explaining his involvement on LinkedIn, Kohli wrote: “That’s why I’ve joined Agilitas as an Investor and as a Co-founder and Co-creator of one8world.”
The partnership followed a significant change in Kohli’s commercial relationship with Puma India, which had previously been one of his major endorsement partners.
After an eight-year association with Puma, Kohli opted against an estimated ₹300 crore (approx. US$32 million) contract extension covering another eight years. The earlier endorsement agreement had been valued at approximately ₹110 crore (approx. US$12 million).
In December 2025, the Economic Times reported that Kohli had sold the one8world sportswear and athleisure business to Agilitas Sports and acquired a minority stake in the company.
Other prominent individuals associated with investment in Agilitas include Kohli’s wife, actress Anushka Sharma, former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh, singer Hardy Sandhu and cricketer Abhishek Sharma.
From one8 to building a sportswear business
Kohli’s association with one8 predates his latest investment arrangement, giving the new partnership an existing brand identity connected to his career.
Reflecting on the principles behind the business, Kohli wrote: “one8 is built on a belief I’ve carried throughout my career: progress comes from pushing boundaries, raising standards, and daring to do things differently.”
The one8world launch was held in New Delhi, where the cricketer participated in a major event attended by thousands of people. The occasion provided a public introduction to the business following his expanded involvement with Agilitas.
Kohli added: “That’s how we introduced the brand to the world, and watching one8world come to life in front of thousands of people, in my home city, was one of the most meaningful moments of my life.”
Kohli’s business interests extend beyond his playing career
Kohli’s LinkedIn debut comes during a later stage of his international cricket career, following his retirement from Test and T20 international cricket.
Since making his India debut in 2008, he has played 123 Tests, 317 One Day Internationals and 125 T20 Internationals, accumulating 28,257 runs across the three formats.
His leadership career included India’s historic Test series victory in Australia in 2018–19 and a period of 42 consecutive months at the top of the ICC Test rankings between October 2016 and March 2020.
His decision to join LinkedIn also places him alongside Indian cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Robin Uthappa, who have established a presence on the professional networking platform.
For Kohli, the platform offers another channel through which to communicate his business interests alongside his established public profile as a cricketer.
He concluded his inaugural post: “The vision is clear. It’s time to build something that will outlive all of us. That’s the journey we’re on.”
Kohli’s LinkedIn profile now formally identifies his roles at Agilitas and one8world alongside his cricket career, while his debut post has introduced those ventures to a growing professional audience.
