Virat Kohli in a dhoti? Odisha temple priest's uncanny resemblance sets social media abuzz

A priest at the Ananta Vasudev Temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has become an overnight internet sensation due to his uncanny resemblance to Indian cricketing icon Virat Kohli.

This intriguing tale began with a video shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by a user named 'Sunil the Cricketer'. The video offers a glimpse into the serene environment of the Ananta Vasudev Temple, concluding with a clip of a man engaged in distributing prasad. Clad in a traditional dhoti and sporting a moustache, the man’s likeness to Virat Kohli is unmistakable.

Online Reactions and Speculations

The post, which has been viewed over 1.1 million times, was captioned humorously with the words, 'I am convincing myself that person is not Virat Kohli.' The footage was initially sourced from a YouTube video uploaded by Pratham Arora.

I am convincing myself that person is not Virat Kohli. pic.twitter.com/Zb05RcgoPf

— Sunil the Cricketer (@1sInto2s) May 29, 2025

Social media users quickly seized the opportunity to infuse comedy into the situation. Comments included quips like 'Bro finally became the pooja path type' and speculative jests such as 'Is Kohli really taking up temple duties instead of heading to the UK?' 

Another user imagined, 'In Puri, Virat Kohli enjoys his post-retirement life,' while someone else mused he resembled 'Satish Ray with some added weight and facial hair.'

Kohli's Illustrious Career in Perspective

For context, Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on 12 May. His impressive career saw him secure his place as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in Test format, accumulating 9,230 runs in 123 matches with a notable batting average that remained above 55 during the years 2016 to 2019. Kohli's contributions are often credited with revitalising interest in Test cricket. Now, he is focusing on RCB’s wish to finally lift the trophy in IPL 2025 after thrashing PKBS in Qualifier 1.