Just a few hours ago, former India captain Virat Kohli posted a few pictures from his trip from West Indies to India in a private jet. Like most of his social media posts, this one too garnered a lot of attention and quickly went viral on the internet.

In the caption of the post, Kohli expressed his gratitude to global aircraft charterer Air Charter Services and pilot Ab Patel for their services and organising the flight. However, curious fans couldn't help asking if the star batsman actually owns a private jet.

The question is serious and makes sense, as the 34-year-old is the richest active cricketer in the world with a net worth well over Rs 1,000 crore this year. Does Virat Kohli own a private jet? Just Google this question and you will come across a series of articles by popular Indian media claiming that Kohli is the owner of a private jet. An Instagram post of him with his wife Anushka Sharma beside a private jet in January 2019 is considered as proof of this claim.

"Let's go" #travelswithher, the caption of the post reads, as the adorable couple is all smiles as they spend quality time together during their trip to Australia and New Zealand.

According to reports, the above picture shows Kohli's private jet, a Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign, which is worth around INR 1.25 billion. However, during an ad shoot for popular sportswear manufacturer Puma in December 2021, Kohli was quick to deny owning a private jet.

Virat Kohli, the face of RCB and its Go Green initiative, flies from the West Indies to India on a private jet

Meanwhile, some fans tried to point out that Kohli's decision to travel on a private jet shows double standards. The reason is that Kohli and his Indian Premier League team, Royal Challengers Bangalore, have played in green jerseys for their home games every season since 2011 as part of their "Go Green" initiative to raise awareness for a more eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle, according to Planet.

According to a CNBC report, a single private jet emits two tonnes of carbon dioxide in just one hour, which is 14 times more pollution per passenger than a commercial aircraft.

Kohli, who has (rightly) urged people in the past to celebrate a pollution-free Diwali, may be aware of the impact private jets have on the environment, especially in light of headlines about the negative effects of climate change. It makes the headlines every other day. Hence, he can definitely be a much better role model.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli once reprimanded a man for throwing plastic on the road while they were driving.
In 2018, Virat had also shared a video in which Anushka reprimanded a man for throwing garbage on the road. "I saw people throwing garbage on the road and naturally confronted them. They were travelling in luxury cars and were crazy. Are these people going to keep our country clean? Yes indeed! If you see such wrong things happening, please do the same and create awareness," read the caption of Kohli's video tweet.

The person being lectured in the video was Arhan Singh, who later exclaimed that the garbage that "accidentally" flew out of his car window was far less than the garbage that came out of Sharma's mouth.