Virat Kohli, wife Anushka visit Sant Premanand in Vrindavan after test retirement

Vrindavan: A day after announcing his retirement from Test cricket, Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli, accompanied by his wife, actress Anushka Sharma, visited Sant Premanand Govind Sharan's ashram in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday. 

The couple’s visit to the spiritual retreat, comes at a significant juncture in Kohli’s career and coincides with the auspicious occasion of ‘Bada Mangal,’ a day dedicated to Lord Hanuman in the Hindu month of Jyeshtha.

Kohli, who bid farewell to Test cricket on May 12, 2025, after a stellar 14-year career, leaves behind a legacy of 9,230 runs in 123 matches, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. 

His retirement marks the end of an era for Indian cricket, following closely on the heels of teammate Rohit Sharma’s exit from the format just five days prior. 

The 36-year-old cricketer had already retired from T20I cricket in 2024 after India’s T20 World Cup victory and last played an ODI during the Champions Trophy earlier this year, a tournament India won under Sharma’s leadership.

Kohli and Sharma have previously visited spiritual centers, including Baba Neem Karoli’s ashram in Vrindavan in 2023, often during times of transition.

On Tuesday, they were seen at the ashram of Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj, a revered guru of the Radhavallabh Sect, known for his teachings that emphasise spirituality as the core of existence and his opposition to hierarchical structures within ashrams.

The Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj Trust, associated with the ashram, provides lodging, food, clothing, and medical care to pilgrims visiting Vrindavan, aligning with its mission to uplift society.

Photographs from the visit show Kohli and Sharma seated among devotees, dressed in traditional attire, as they engaged with the spiritual gathering. The vibrant yellow decor of the ashram, a color often associated with auspiciousness in Hindu tradition, added to the serene ambiance of the event. 

The timing of their visit on ‘Bada Mangal’—the first Tuesday of the month of Jyeshtha, a day considered highly auspicious for worshipping Lord Hanuman—likely held special significance for the couple.