Virat Kohli’s spokesperson has officially denied a seer’s claim that the cricketer was paid ₹5 crore to make his first visit to the Vrindavan ashram of spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj. The allegation is unproven, and Kohli’s camp has rejected it outright.
Dinesh Sharma, known as Falahari Maharaj and president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sangharsh Nyas, alleged that Kohli received the money for his first visit to the ashram in 2023. He reportedly set this out in a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dated October 4. According to the letter, a Rajasthan-based private company and a property-builder lobby arranged the funds to facilitate the January 2023 trip. Another report describes the claim as an effort to promote the saint.
Kohli’s response
In a statement posted by his spokesperson on Wednesday, Kohli’s team said the claims were “completely false, baseless and factually incorrect.” It said Kohli visits Premanand Maharaj “purely out of his deep faith and reverence.”
The statement also appealed to the media to exercise due diligence, verify facts before reporting or amplifying such statements, and report responsibly. Note that the response came from a spokesperson, not from Kohli personally, though some outlets headlined it as Kohli “breaking silence.”
Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, are devotees of Premanand Maharaj and have visited his ashram in Vrindavan several times. Their visits have continued through major moments in his career, including after his Test retirement in 2025, and the most recently reported visit was in July this year. The couple drew attention in the past when they were seen walking barefoot through the drizzle to seek his blessings.
Kohli’s spiritual turn has been a talking point before. He began that journey after marrying Anushka in December 2017, according to Sportskeeda, which also noted that he had said as early as the 2016 T20 World Cup that he didn’t follow spiritual guides.
