Star Indian batter Virat Kohli visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on Friday. The visit came just a day after India head coach Gautam Gambhir prayed at the same temple. Kohli sought blessings ahead of the third and final ODI against New Zealand on January 18.
Virat Kohli followed his coach’s footsteps by visiting the revered shrine before the series decider. The visit drew attention as Kohli was seen attending the Bhasma Aarti at the temple early in the morning.
Kohli visited the temple alone. Anushka Sharma, who usually accompanies him on such visits, was not present this time. He attended the Bhasma Aarti at the Nandi Hall. Kohli was seen singing and praying along with the pandits.
Virat Kohli’s growing spiritual journey before series decider
After the aarti, he offered prayers and interacted with the temple authorities. The officials honoured him with shawls and religious attire. Virat Kohli was seen in a new look. His forehead was adorned with sacred tikas and yellow chandan marks.
Virat Kohli was not always known for frequent temple visits earlier in his career. During the 2010s, he was known for his aggressive nature and complete focus on cricket and fitness. One of his old remarks, “Do I look like the puja-paath types to you,” had gone viral at the time.
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However, a visible change was noticed after his marriage to Anushka Sharma in 2017. Since then, Kohli has regularly visited temples and ashrams. He has made several trips to Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram in Uttarakhand. He has also met spiritual leader Shri Premanand Maharaj multiple times.
Kohli has attended the Bhasma Aarti at the Mahakaleshwar Temple on earlier occasions as well. He visited the temple in March 2023 and again in early 2025.
On the cricketing front, Virat Kohli remains in strong form in ODIs. After retiring from Test and T20 cricket, he has focused on the 50-over format. He scored a key 74 in Australia and followed it with centuries against South Africa and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Although he struggled in the second ODI against New Zealand, Kohli will look to bounce back. The final match will be played in Indore on January 18.
