'Abhi to thik hai': Virat Kohli to Premanand Ji Maharaj on being asked if he is happy

IANS May 13, 2025 678 views

Cricket superstar Virat Kohli has retired from Test cricket after an incredible 14-year journey of extraordinary achievements. Following his retirement announcement, Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma visited the Vrindavan ashram of Premanand Ji Maharaj to seek spiritual guidance. During their visit, Maharaj offered profound spiritual insights about inner transformation and detachment from worldly recognition. Kohli leaves Test cricket as one of India's most successful captains and batsmen, with remarkable statistics including 9,230 runs and 30 centuries.

"Ye vaibhav milna kripa nahi hai ye punya hai" - Premanand Ji Maharaj
New Delhi, May 13: A day after retiring from Test cricket, India's batting stalwart Virat Kohli on Tuesday visited Vrindavan with his wife Anushka Sharma and had a special spiritual conversation (Ekantik Vartalaap) with Premanand Ji Maharaj in his Ashram Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, Varah Ghat.

Key Points

1

Kohli retires from Test cricket after 14-year illustrious career

2

Visits Vrindavan ashram with Anushka Sharma

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Meets spiritual guru Premanand Ji Maharaj

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Seeks blessings after retirement announcement

In Vrindavan, Virat and Anushka met Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj and received his blessings. This was the couple's second visit to Vrindavan this year. In January this year, Virat, Anushka Sharma and their children visited Vrindavan to seek the blessings of Premanand Ji Maharaj.

Upon arriving at the ashram, the couple greeted Premanand Ji Maharaj, who then asked, "Prasanna ho? (Are you happy?)" Virat responded, "Ji, abhi thik hain (Yes, I'm okay)." Maharaj Ji gently replied, "You should stay well."

"Ye vaibhav milna kripa nahi hai ye punya hai. Bhagwan ki kripa maani jati hai andar ka chintan badalna... Bilkul aise hi rahi jaise reh rahe ho bilkul sannsarik ban kar raho, lekin andar ka chintan apka badal jaye, usme yash ki bhavna na reh jaye... Andar ka chintan ye rahna achaiye ki 'Prabhu bhot janm vyateet ho gaya ab mujhe aap chahiye'. (This prosperity is not merely grace — it is the result of virtue (punya). It is considered to be a movement toward the Divine. What truly matters is the transformation of your inner contemplation... Live just as you are living now, fully engaged in the world, but let your inner thought process change. Let there be no desire for recognition or fame within. Your inner contemplation should be: 'Lord, enough of all worldly experiences, now, I seek only You'). Maharaj ji gave spiritual teaching to the couple, as Anushka was visibly emotional.

The couple was previously spotted visiting several temples over the couple of years. In 2023, the couple visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. Earlier, the duo took a spiritual journey to Neem Karoli Baba ashram, Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand.

On Monday, Kohli took to Instagram to draw curtains on his illustrious 14-year-long Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches, including a stellar 30 centuries and 31 fifties.

Virat's decision to retire from Tests came after it was reported that Kohli had communicated his decision to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of next month's five-match Test series against England.

Virat, who made his Test debut in 2011, has been a cornerstone of India's red-ball resurgence over the past decade. His aggressive captaincy, prolific batting, and unmatched intensity have helped transform India into a formidable Test side both at home and abroad.

He hung up his spikes as the fourth-most successful Test captain with 40 wins overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins).

Virat’s 30 Test centuries make him the fourth-most successful Indian batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51 hundreds), Rahul Dravid (36), and Sunil Gavaskar (34). Kohli also made seven Test double hundreds, the most ever by an Indian. He also has the most Test hundreds by an Indian captain, with Gavaskar (11 centuries) way behind his 20 tons.

The right-handed batter previously announced his retirement from the T20I format after India's T20 World Cup triumph last year. The 36-year-old will now only feature in ODIs for India.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.
Virat's spiritual journey is as inspiring as his cricket career! After giving his all to the nation, he's now seeking inner peace. Maharaj ji's words about transforming inner contemplation while living worldly life are profound. Wishing him happiness in this new chapter 🙏
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Priya M.
As a cricket fan, I'll miss seeing him in whites. But his answer "abhi thik hain" shows he's still processing this big life change. Hope he finds what he's seeking in spirituality. Maybe we'll see him commentating or coaching someday?
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Arjun S.
Interesting how many Indian cricketers turn to spirituality post-retirement. From Sachin to Dhoni and now Kohli. Shows the pressure they must be under during their careers. That "yash ki bhavna" (desire for fame) Maharaj ji mentioned must be hard to let go of after being worshipped as gods!
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Sneha R.
While I respect his personal choices, I wish he'd played a farewell Test series. He deserved a proper send-off from fans across stadiums. But knowing Virat, he probably wanted to avoid the emotional drama. Typical straightforward Delhi boy! 😊
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Vikram J.
That "abhi thik hain" response is so relatable! Even after achieving everything, there's still that search for something more. Maharaj ji's advice about living normally while transforming inner thoughts is gold. Hope Virat finds his peace - he's given us enough memories to cherish forever.
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Neha P.
Beautiful to see Anushka supporting him through this transition. They make such a grounded couple despite all the fame. The way she got emotional shows how much this means to them. Wishing them both happiness and peace in this spiritual journey 🪔

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