Our Bureau
Vrindavan
Virat Kohli’s retirement shocked the whole world as people expected that their favorite cricketer would continue representing the Indian teams in the longest format of the game. Kohli was then seen in Vrindavan with his wife, Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma beside him. The couple was visiting Shri Premanand Ji Maharaj in his Ashram Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, Varah Ghat.
It has been a well known fact that the couple have been followers of Shri Premanand Ji Maharaj and have often visited his ashram along with their kids. So, when Kohli retired it was expected that the couple might visit the ashram to gain their guru’s blessing. The couple went there and had a special spiritual conversation i.e., Ekantik Vartalaap with Shri Premanand Ji Maharaj.
As Virat Kohli entered the room, Premanand Ji asked him a very simple question, “Prasann Ho?” which meant ‘Are you happy?’ Virat smiled gently and replied “Ji, abhi thik hain,” implying ‘Yes I am okay now.’ Both Anushka and Virat then devotedly listened to Maharaj ji’s preachings and teachings before leaving his ashram.
This was not the first instance of the power couple visiting Premanand Ji Maharaj as they have done it in the past as well. They visited the ashram this year in January after the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Virat Kohli who once famously said in a press conference that, “Do I look the Pooja-path types?” is now having a spiritual journey of sorts with his wife Anushka. In 2023, the couple was seen visiting Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain and then they were also sighted visiting Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand.
Kohli’s retirement news was already making headlines before he even announced as it was reported that the cricket icon had told BCCI that he wanted to end his career in the red-ball format. Although the BCCI tried pursuing him and asked him to reconsider his decision, Kohli had made up his mind to call it a day in his favorite format. In the 123 games he played for the country, Kohli made 9270 runs at an average of 46.83 with 30 centuries to his name.
