Former India captain Virat Kohli’s spokesperson has rejected a claim that the cricketer was paid Rs 5 crore for visiting spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj’s ashram in Vrindavan.

The allegation was attributed to Dinesh Sharma, also known as Falahari Maharaj, who is president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sangharsh Nyas. Sharma reportedly claimed that Rs 5 crore had been spent to bring Kohli to the ashram.

There is, however, no publicly available payment record, agreement or other independent evidence establishing that Kohli received such an amount for the visit.

Kohli’s spokesperson strongly denied the allegation, describing it as false and without factual basis.

“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.

The spokesperson further said Kohli’s visits to Premanand Maharaj were driven by personal faith and respect for the spiritual leader.

“Mr. Virat Kohli visits Premanand Maharaj Ji purely out of his deep faith and reverence for Maharaj Ji,” the statement added.

Kohli and Anushka have visited ashram several times

Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, have visited Premanand Maharaj at his Vrindavan ashram on multiple occasions.

Their first widely reported visit came in January 2023, following which the couple returned to meet the spiritual leader on several occasions.

The visits have attracted considerable attention on social media, with photographs and videos of the couple at the ashram circulating widely.

The latest controversy follows the emergence of the Rs 5 crore claim, which has not been independently substantiated.

Kohli recently crossed 15,000 ODI runs

Away from the controversy, Kohli recently returned to India’s ODI side during the three-match series against the West Indies.

The batter made an unbeaten 139 in the opening match in Thiruvananthapuram, taking his career ODI tally beyond 15,000 runs. He became only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the landmark.

Kohli scored 29 in the second ODI and was dismissed for a duck in the third. India won the opening two matches before the West Indies secured a five-wicket victory in the final game.

He finished the series with 168 runs.

New Zealand series next

Kohli’s next expected ODI assignment is India’s tour of New Zealand, with the five-match series scheduled to begin in Auckland on November 4.

The tour is also scheduled to include matches in Wellington, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui, along with five T20Is and two Tests.

Kohli has already retired from T20I and Test cricket and is now concentrating on the ODI format. He has also indicated that the 2027 ODI World Cup is likely to be his final World Cup appearance for India.