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Just after drawing the curtain on a glittering 14-year-long Test career, Virat Kohli swapped the stadium spotlight for spiritual solace. Accompanied by wife Anushka Sharma, the cricketer visited Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj Ashram in Vrindavan earlier this week, where they held a deep spiritual exchange with revered saint Premanand Ji Maharaj.
In a moment that resonated with quiet profundity, Maharaj Ji asked the former Test captain, “Prasann ho?” (Are you happy?). To which Virat, composed yet reflective, replied, “Ji, abhi thik hain.” Maharaj Ji then shared a powerful message: prosperity isn’t mere grace — it’s the fruit of one's virtue. “Live in the world as you are,” he said, “but let your inner contemplation evolve.”
The spiritual session, described as an Ekantik Vartalaap (a one-pointed spiritual conversation), moved Anushka to tears. At one point, she asked, “Baba, kya naam jap se ho jayega?” (Can chanting the divine name bring fulfilment?) — to which Maharaj Ji nodded with quiet affirmation. This visit marked the couple’s second trip to Vrindavan this year, following a January pilgrimage with their children. Known for their spiritual inclinations, Virat and Anushka have previously visited Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain and Neem Karoli Baba’s Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand.
On Monday, Virat announced his retirement from Test cricket via Instagram, closing a chapter that saw him score 9,230 runs in 123 matches, with 30 centuries, 31 fifties, and seven double hundreds — the most by any Indian. His tenure as Test captain yielded 40 wins, placing him fourth globally behind Smith, Ponting, and Waugh. At 36, Virat will now focus solely on ODIs, having previously retired from T20Is after India’s World Cup win in 2024. But if Vrindavan is any indication, the journey ahead may be as spiritual as it is strategic.
