Kohli’s camp rejects claim he was paid ₹5 crore to visit Premanand Maharaj’s ashram
On 7 October 2026 Virat Kohli’s spokesperson rejected an allegation by Dinesh Sharma that Kohli was paid ₹5 crore to visit Premanand Maharaj’s ashram in Vrindavan, saying the claim was “completely false, baseless and factually incorrect.”
Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma have visited Premanand Maharaj in Vrindavan several times since their first visit in January 2023, and those visits have frequently generated social media attention through pictures and videos from the ashram. The couple’s trips to meet Premanand Maharaj have occurred across different phases of Kohli’s cricket career and attracted public interest beyond the playing field. The recent allegation has brought renewed attention to those visits.
Dinesh Sharma, identified in reports as Phalahari Maharaj and later referenced in statements as Falahari Maharaj, made the specific claim that a Rajasthan-based private company or a property-related group had paid ₹5 crore to bring Kohli to the ashram to boost its popularity. Sharma is described in the report as the president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sangharsh Nyas and is the individual who advanced the payment allegation.
Kohli’s spokesperson categorically denied the payment claim and provided a reason for Kohli’s visits to Premanand Maharaj, stating: “Mr Virat Kohli visits Premanand Maharaj Ji purely out of his deep faith and reverence for Maharaj Ji.” The spokesperson emphasized that the visits were motivated by personal faith and respect rather than any commercial arrangement.
The allegation that Kohli received ₹5 crore has not been substantiated by independent evidence, and no public proof of such a payment has been produced. Media reports and the spokesperson’s denial together leave the payment claim unverified at this time.
For now, Kohli’s official position is that the ₹5 crore allegation is false, baseless and factually incorrect, and the claim remains unproven publicly. Dinesh Sharma is the claimant named in the reports, and Kohli’s camp has maintained its denial.
