Virat Kohli claimed foreign international cricketers are voluntarily wearing his One8 cricket spikes without endorsement deals. Jos Buttler and Jordan Cox have both been spotted doing exactly that on live television, one before Kohli even made the statement and one after.
Kohli made the statement at the One8 Global Premiere at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi on June 21, 2026. Speaking alongside Agilitas Sports co-founder Abhishek Ganguly, Kohli was direct about how foreign players adopted the brand.
“I’m sure you guys have seen a lot of the foreign players are wearing our spikes as well without asking anyone to do so. They’ve asked for the shoes themselves and they’re phenomenally happy with them. I haven’t texted anyone to be fair and being brutally honest to wear my shoe, but they’ve all asked for it and they’re all wearing it and they love it.”
Virat Kohli, One8 Global Premiere, June 21, 2026
Two sightings confirmed his claim. England’s Jos Buttler wore One8 cricket spikes during the T20I series against India in July 2026. The spikes featured two gold rings forming the figure ‘8’ on the side and the One8 logo stitched on the tongue. Buttler scored 131 off 64 balls at the Ageas Bowl while wearing them. No endorsement deal with One8 has been reported. He plays for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, not Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His adoption of the spikes was entirely independent of any proximity to Kohli through a franchise.
View this post on Instagram
The first confirmed sighting came even earlier. Jordan Cox wore One8 spikes during Kent’s T20 Blast match against Essex at Chelmsford on June 9, 2026, twelve days before Kohli made his public claim. Cox had spent IPL 2026 at RCB alongside Kohli. Broadcasters noticed immediately.
“He spent a bit of time with Virat over in the IPL. First thing he’s done is gone and put his shoes on.”
T20 Blast commentary, Kent vs Essex, June 9, 2026
View this post on Instagram
Cox scored 40 off 31 in that match. After the India vs England ODI series concluded in late July, Buttler shared Instagram stories showing One8 shoes received directly from Kohli as a gift. England’s Jake Bethell, who has spoken publicly about learning from Kohli’s batting approach, was also reported to have learned about the shoes through Buttler in the England dressing room.
Insider Read:
Cricket spikes exist for one purpose: grip and consistency under pressure. Every brand in the market, from New Balance to Adidas to Puma, competes on the same fundamentals. The spikes must be lightweight, balanced, and offer strong grip. That is the entire brief. There are dozens of options available to international cricketers, many backed by years of biomechanical research and athlete testing.
Switching spikes mid-career when no deal requires it is not a casual decision. A cricketer’s footwork depends on how the spike grips the turf during sudden lateral movement, forward lunges, and explosive sprints between wickets. Every pair breaks in differently. Every sole plate distributes pressure differently. A player who switches brands is accepting a period of adjustment where the spike has not been match-tested under their body weight, their running style, their specific movement patterns.
Jos Buttler is a keeper-batter. His role demands explosive lateral dives behind the stumps, rapid direction changes, and sustained crouching. Choosing an untested Indian-made spike for an international series against the team whose co-founder made it is the strongest possible product endorsement in cricket. No marketing campaign can replicate a player voluntarily taking that risk.
How the IPL Dressing Room Became One8’s Showroom
Jordan Cox’s route to One8 spikes went directly through RCB. He spent months training alongside Kohli, saw the spikes up close during practice, and tried them on before committing to wearing them in competitive cricket back in England. This is not traditional marketing. The IPL functions as a product testing ground where proximity, not advertising, drives adoption.
The pipeline matters. Cox returned from RCB to county cricket in England, and what he wore in practice with Kohli showed up weeks later in the T20 Blast. When Kohli influences the choices of teammates through personal example, the effect extends to what they put on their feet.
Buttler’s case is different and more significant. He plays for Gujarat Titans, not RCB. He had no exposure to Kohli’s brand through his franchise. His choice was made independently, purely on the product.
Kohli’s involvement in the product goes beyond branding. He admitted at the premiere that he personally delays launches by sending last-minute design changes.
“I take a lot of responsibility for it because when they tell me we’re launching this or we’re finalizing this in 48 hours, 6 hours before that I’ll send them another version. So it can’t go on the floor just yet.”
Virat Kohli, One8 Global Premiere, June 21, 2026
The Cover Drive 18 spikes went through 17 rejected prototypes before Kohli approved the 18th version. They are priced at ₹13,999, undercutting most imported cricket spikes that retail above ₹20,000 through brand stores in India. Kohli turned down a reported ₹300 crore renewal offer from Puma to build One8 as an independent brand under Agilitas Sports.
For decades, the flow of cricket footwear was one-directional. Indian cricketers wore Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Puma. An English international choosing an Indian-made spike for a domestic match in England, with no reported deal behind it, reverses that dynamic. One8 has confirmed plans to launch in 50 countries. If more foreign players wearing Kohli’s spikes keep appearing on broadcasts, the brand will not need a marketing budget to prove its credibility. The players are already doing it.
Kohli made these remarks at the One8 Global Premiere on his verified YouTube channel on June 21, 2026. No statement from any of the foreign players confirming or denying endorsement arrangements has been made at time of publication.
Also Read:
- Jacob Bethell Says He Learned the Art of Chasing From Kohli
- Samson Reveals Kohli’s Lifestyle Advice He Couldn’t Follow
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar on His Friendship With Kohli at RCB
- Amir Names Kohli as the Toughest Batter Alongside Ponting and Watson
- Travis Head Explains the Kohli Handshake Moment
- Nasser Hussain’s Tribute to Kohli at Lord’s
