Kohli team denies ₹5 crore claim over Premanand Maharaj ashram visit, calls it ‘baseless’
Virat Kohli’s team on Wednesday denied a viral claim he was paid ₹5 crore to visit Premanand Maharaj’s Vrindavan ashram. The camp called it “false, baseless and factually incorrect,” saying the visits were driven by faith.
Virat Kohli’s team on Wednesday rejected a viral claim that the former India captain was paid ₹5 crore to visit the Vrindavan ashram of spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj, calling the allegation “completely false, baseless and factually incorrect.”
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Kohli’s camp said the cricketer’s visits to the guru were driven by faith and reverence, not money. The statement also urged media outlets and social media users to verify information before amplifying it.
The denial came as the claim spread online after being attributed to Dinesh Sharma, who is also known as Falahari Maharaj and is described as the president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sangharsh Nyas, a religious advocacy organisation based in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
“We would like to categorically state that the claims made by Falahari Maharaj Dinesh Sharma in regards to Mr. Virat Kohli are completely false, baseless and factually incorrect,” the spokesperson said.
“Mr. Virat Kohli visits Premanand Maharaj Ji purely out of his deep faith and reverence for Maharaj Ji,” the statement added. “We strongly refute these claims and urge the media to exercise due diligence, verify facts before reporting or amplifying such statements, and report responsibly.”
No evidence was presented publicly to support the ₹5 crore allegation.
How the claim spread
The dispute traces back to comments attributed to Sharma earlier this week. Reports said he made the ₹5 crore allegation on Monday and, in a separate account, that he had written to Premanand Maharaj with a claim that a group of sadhus associated with the spiritual leader’s team had spent ₹5 crore to bring Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, to the ashram.
The allegation also carried an asserted motive: that the visit was arranged to project Premanand Maharaj as a celebrity spiritual figure.
Kohli’s camp directly disputed that narrative on Wednesday, describing the claim as fabricated and incorrect, and framing the visits as private acts of devotion.
The episode has landed at the intersection of celebrity culture, religious authority and the fast-moving rumour economy of social media, where clips and claims can travel widely before any verification catches up.
Premanand Maharaj is an Indian Hindu ascetic and spiritual leader based in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. He was initiated into the Radha Vallabh Sampradaya, a Vaishnava tradition centred on devotion to Radha and Krishna.
Widely known in devotional circles as Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Maharaj Ji, he is associated with Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj in Vrindavan. Followers often describe his teaching as focused on bhakti, surrender and naam sankirtan, with special emphasis on chanting Radha’s name and living a disciplined spiritual life.
His daily discourses and question-and-answer sessions, sometimes described as “Ekantik Vartalaap”, are widely circulated online and draw a large audience.
Over the past few years, his ashram has also become a frequent stop for public figures seeking blessings or a private conversation. Reports have listed visitors from the film industry and sports, adding to the attention around the premises and the guru’s growing public profile.
Kohli and Anushka Sharma first made a widely reported visit to Premanand Maharaj in January 2023. They returned in January 2025 and have visited several times since, according to reports. During one such meeting, Anushka Sharma spoke about having questions and finding answers through the guru’s talks.
Scrutiny around the ashram
The latest online controversy is not the only reason the Vrindavan ashram has been in the news.
Police in Mathura have been investigating an incident at the premises following the fatal fall of a disciple, Rasik Dulari, from a terrace, according to background information in circulation. The incident has drawn local scrutiny of administrative and communication practices at the ashram.
The material available publicly does not describe any finding or conclusion from the police inquiry, nor does it link the investigation to Kohli’s visits.
What Wednesday’s denial does show is how quickly a claim about a religious visit can become a reputational issue for everyone involved: the celebrity, the spiritual leader and the people around the institution.
For now, Kohli’s camp has put its position on record, rejecting the ₹5 crore allegation in categorical terms and asking for restraint in repeating it. Whether Sharma responds publicly, or whether any documentary evidence is produced by any party, will likely determine how long the story continues to circulate.
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