Virat Kohli is more than one of cricket’s most recognisable players. He is also a commercial brand whose influence reaches banking, sports equipment, payments, grooming, fashion and wearable technology. People searching for Virat Kohli sponsors usually want a current list, but the answer is not as simple as copying every company he has appeared with over the past decade.
As of September 2026, his publicly documented relationships include an enduring association with MRF, a brand-influencer role with HSBC India, a global ambassador appointment with Pay10, and recent campaigns involving Oakley Meta and Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water. His commercial direction has also shifted toward ownership: after ending his long Puma partnership, Kohli invested in Agilitas Sports as One8 entered a new growth phase.
Virat Kohli Sponsorship Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Primary topic | Kohli’s sponsorships and brand endorsements |
| Profession | Indian cricketer and former national captain |
| Major cricket-equipment association | MRF Sports |
| Banking relationship | HSBC India brand influencer |
| Fintech appointment | Pay10 global brand ambassador with Anushka Sharma |
| Recent technology campaign | Oakley Meta Performance AI glasses in India |
| Recent lifestyle campaign | Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water |
| Sportswear business shift | Investor in Agilitas Sports; One8 co-founder |
| Former major sportswear partner | Puma, relationship ended in April 2025 |
| 2025 celebrity brand value | $158.4 million, according to Kroll’s 2025 study released in 2026 |
| Information reviewed | September 2026 |
Table of Contents
Who Sponsors Virat Kohli in 2026?
The clearest answer is that the publicly verified Virat Kohli sponsors and recent commercial partners include MRF Sports, HSBC India, Pay10, Oakley and Meta, and Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water. Philips and Asian Paints also have documented campaign relationships from 2024, although a campaign announcement does not prove that a contract remains active indefinitely.
There is no official public registry containing every active endorsement, its start date and its expiry date. Private agreements are often reported only when announced, renewed or ended. Therefore, any responsible list must attach a date and status to each relationship instead of labelling dozens of historical advertisers as current.
| Brand or company | Publicly documented role | Most relevant public evidence | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRF Sports | Cricket-bat association and Kohli-branded bat range | Current MRF Sports product catalogue | Long-running equipment relationship |
| HSBC India | Brand influencer | Appointment in 2023 and campaign in 2024 | Established endorsement relationship |
| Pay10 | Global brand ambassador with Anushka Sharma | Appointment announced in October 2025 | Recent ambassador partnership |
| Oakley and Meta | Face of Oakley Meta Performance AI glasses in India | Launch campaign announced in April 2026 | Current/recent campaign |
| Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water | Partner in the “Keep Walking” campaign | Campaign publicised in April 2026 | Current/recent campaign |
| Agilitas Sports and One8 | Investor, shareholder and co-founder role | Strategic transaction announced in December 2025 | Business venture, not a standard sponsor |
MRF Remains Kohli’s Defining Cricket-Equipment Association
Among Virat Kohli sponsors, MRF has the strongest visual connection with his work on the field. Its logo has appeared prominently on his bats, turning every televised innings, replay and photograph into brand exposure. MRF Sports continues to feature a dedicated Virat Kohli English-willow range, including Genius King, Game Changer and Chase Master models, on its official product page.
The financial history is widely reported but should be presented carefully. In 2017, The Economic Times reported that Kohli renewed his MRF bat-sponsorship agreement for eight years and more than ₹100 crore. That reported term would have run to roughly 2025, yet current public retail branding still connects MRF and Kohli. Unless either party publishes new contract terms, it is safer to describe the visible association than to claim a new fee or expiry date as fact.
HSBC Built Its Partnership Around Global Ambition
HSBC India announced Kohli as a brand influencer in April 2023. The bank linked his international career and personal ambition with its message of helping Indian customers access global opportunities. In June 2024, HSBC followed with another campaign featuring him and highlighting international banking propositions. Both announcements remain available in the bank’s official India newsroom.
This is one of the most clearly documented financial-services relationships in the Virat Kohli sponsors portfolio. However, the wording matters: HSBC called him a “brand influencer,” not a corporate owner or financial adviser. Readers should not confuse a celebrity marketing role with professional financial guidance.
Pay10 Added the Power of Virat and Anushka Together
Pay10 appointed Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma as global brand ambassadors in October 2025 ahead of the planned launch of its UPI-enabled payments app in India. According to the Economic Times report, the partnership was designed to support the fintech company’s visibility and consumer reach.
Pay10 stands out among Virat Kohli sponsors because the agreement uses the couple’s combined public identity. Kohli brings sporting credibility, discipline and a vast cricket audience, while Sharma contributes entertainment reach and an established profile as an actor and producer. Together, they allow the brand to address households rather than only sports fans.
Oakley Meta Connected Cricket With Wearable AI
In April 2026, Oakley and Meta selected Kohli as the face of Oakley Meta Performance AI glasses in India. The campaign focuses on training, preparation and first-person content, positioning the glasses as performance technology rather than ordinary fashion eyewear. The launch was reported by BestMediaInfo.
This is one of the newest additions to the Virat Kohli sponsors conversation. It makes strategic sense because cricket depends heavily on vision, anticipation and rapid decision-making. Kohli gives the product an athletic context that a conventional celebrity campaign would struggle to create.
It is still best described as a product-launch collaboration unless the companies disclose a broader multi-year contract. A highly visible campaign can be commercially important without proving that every Oakley or Meta product is covered by the same agreement.
Johnnie Walker Used Kohli’s Progress Story
Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water partnered with Kohli for the next phase of its “Keep Walking” campaign in April 2026. The campaign framed progress as an ongoing process even after major achievements, closely matching the public story of an athlete who continued to reinvent his game after reaching the top. The collaboration was presented in a Times of India branded feature.
For readers researching Virat Kohli sponsors, this example illustrates the difference between a recent campaign partner and a permanent sponsor. The available evidence confirms the campaign, but it does not disclose its value, complete term or exclusivity. Publishing an invented fee would add a dramatic number at the cost of accuracy.
Puma Is a Former Partner, Not a Current Sponsor
Puma was once central to the Virat Kohli sponsors story. The relationship began in 2017 and produced major advertising campaigns as well as Puma One8 merchandise. It was one of the most visible athlete-sportswear partnerships in India, which explains why older articles still place Puma at the top of current lists.
That is now outdated. Kohli’s eight-year association with Puma ended in April 2025. Later that year, he invested ₹40 crore in Agilitas Sports, while Agilitas moved to acquire and expand One8. The transaction made Kohli a minority investor in Agilitas and a co-founder of One8 within the new structure, according to The Economic Times.
This change is more significant than replacing one logo with another. Kohli moved from being paid primarily as a sportswear endorser toward holding equity and participating in the growth of an Indian performance brand. It reflects a wider athlete-economy trend in which stars seek long-term ownership rather than only campaign fees.
One8 and Agilitas Are Business Interests, Not Ordinary Sponsors
One8 should not be presented as an outside company simply paying Kohli to appear in advertisements. He co-created the brand and remains commercially connected to it. Agilitas Sports is also different from an ordinary entry on a sponsorship list because Kohli invested in the company and became part of One8’s leadership and ownership story.
This distinction improves the accuracy of any Virat Kohli sponsors article. Endorsement income is usually payment for the use of a celebrity’s image and services. Equity can rise or fall in value and gives the athlete a longer-term interest in the business. The potential reward may be greater, but so is the commercial risk.
Kohli has made other investments, including a strategic investment in the World Bowling League reported by Reuters. Such ventures may strengthen his business profile, but they should not automatically be counted as personal sponsors.
How Valuable Is Virat Kohli as a Celebrity Brand?
Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Study for 2025, released in August 2026, ranked Kohli third among Indian celebrities with an estimated brand value of $158.4 million. Shah Rukh Khan ranked first and Ranveer Singh second. The result still placed Kohli ahead of every other athlete in the published top five. Kroll’s official release provides the ranking and methodology context.
Brand value is not the same as annual endorsement income, personal net worth or cash held in a bank account. It is a valuation measure influenced by endorsement portfolios and public reach. This is important because articles about Virat Kohli sponsors often repeat estimated fees as though they were audited earnings.
Most individual contract values remain private. Reliable reporting can establish some historic deal figures, but a responsible article should label them as reported estimates and attach the year. Combining old Puma and MRF figures with current campaigns to produce a supposed 2026 total would create false precision.
Why Brands Continue to Choose Virat Kohli
Kohli offers advertisers a rare combination: elite performance, intense recognisability, a disciplined fitness image and reach across generations. Cricket gives him enormous visibility in India, but his career also carries weight in international markets where the sport has established audiences. His public identity can therefore support both mass-market products and premium global campaigns.
Another advantage is narrative consistency. MRF can connect him with match performance, HSBC with international ambition, Philips with grooming, and Oakley Meta with training technology. The best partnerships do not simply attach his face to a product; they use qualities audiences already associate with him.
The evolving Virat Kohli sponsors portfolio also shows that his value is no longer limited to appearing in commercials. His move toward One8 and Agilitas suggests that future partnerships may increasingly combine endorsement, product creation and equity. For brands, that can produce a more credible relationship because the athlete has a direct commercial stake in the outcome.
How to Read Online Sponsor Lists Accurately
Readers should check three details before trusting any celebrity endorsement list: the announcement date, the exact role and evidence of renewal. A photograph, old advertisement or archived press release proves that a relationship existed; it does not necessarily prove that it remains active.
The same rule applies to Kohli’s endorsements. Puma, Uber, Manyavar, Audi, Tissot, Boost, Colgate, Noise, Fire-Boltt and several other brands have appeared in his commercial history. Unless recent evidence confirms continuation, they are better described as previous or historically reported partners rather than placed automatically in a current 2026 table.
Conclusion
The current picture of Virat Kohli sponsors combines established cricket branding, financial services, fintech, wearable technology and lifestyle campaigns. MRF remains his defining equipment association, HSBC has used him as a brand influencer, Pay10 appointed him and Anushka Sharma as global ambassadors, and Oakley Meta brought him into a major 2026 technology launch. Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water also featured him in a new campaign built around progress.
The biggest strategic development, however, is his transition from Puma endorser to investor and co-founder within the Agilitas–One8 structure. That move shows how Kohli’s commercial career is shifting from rented influence toward ownership. Because contracts change and many terms remain private, the most trustworthy sponsor list is one that separates verified current campaigns, older partnerships and invested ventures instead of treating them as the same thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which brands sponsor Virat Kohli in 2026?
Publicly documented current or recent relationships include MRF, HSBC India, Pay10, Oakley Meta and Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water. Exact contract terms are not publicly available for every brand.
Is Puma still a Virat Kohli sponsor?
No. Kohli’s eight-year Puma partnership ended in April 2025, after which he moved toward an investment-led relationship with Agilitas Sports and One8.
Who is Virat Kohli’s bat sponsor?
MRF is the brand most visibly associated with Kohli’s cricket bats and continues to sell a Virat Kohli-branded bat range.
How much does Virat Kohli earn from endorsements?
His exact current endorsement income is private. Reported deal values and celebrity-brand valuations should not be confused with audited annual earnings.
Is One8 one of Virat Kohli sponsors?
Not in the usual sense. One8 is a brand Kohli co-created, while his Agilitas relationship includes investment and ownership rather than only an endorsement fee.