Kohli, Kuldeep offer prayers at Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple, attend Bhasma Aarti

Former India captain Virat Kohli, along with spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fielding coach T Dilip, visited the Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on Saturday to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and attended the sacred Bhasma Aarti.

The temple visit came ahead of India’s crucial third and final ODI against New Zealand at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Kohli was also felicitated by the Mahakaleshwar Temple management committee during the visit.

Prayers For Team & Nation

Kuldeep described the visit as a spiritually enriching experience, saying it was special to have darshan of Lord Mahakaal and seek divine blessings for the team and the nation.

On Friday, head coach Gautam Gambhir and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul had also offered prayers at the revered Jyotirlinga shrine. They were joined by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak for the early morning 4:00 AM Bhasma Aarti.

Also Read: Virat Kohli reclaims No.1 spot in ODI rankings after 4 long years

India and New Zealand are currently locked 1-1 in the three-match ODI series. After securing a thrilling four-wicket victory in the opening match at Vadodara, India suffered a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat in the second ODI at Rajkot, allowing the visitors to level the series under the leadership of Michael Bracewell.

Return To Form

Earlier this week, Kohli reclaimed the top position in the ICC ODI batting rankings, overtaking former India captain Rohit Sharma. However, his return to action after regaining the number-one spot saw him score 23 off 29 balls in the second ODI.

Despite the modest score, Kohli created history by becoming India’s highest run-scorer against New Zealand in ODI cricket. In 35 matches against the Kiwis, he has accumulated 1,773 runs at an average of 55.4, including six centuries and 10 half-centuries, with a highest score of 154. He went past Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 1,750 runs from 42 matches.