Published: Jan 16, 2026, 05:28 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 16, 2026, 05:28 PM (IST)
Ahead of the decisive third ODI against New Zealand, Indian wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva before the series decider at Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday.
During his visit, Rahul offered prayers at one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. He also performed ritual worship of Nandi.
The Indian star has visited the Mahakal Temple multiple times. Ahead of the start of IPL 2024, Rahul arrived with his parents after the Bhasma Aarti and prayed for his team’s success ahead of the tournament. He has also visited the temple with his wife Athiya Shetty, before the start of the Indore Test in 2023.
Rahul is in splendid form in the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. The 32-year-old scored a magnificent hundred in the second 50 over match. The Indian star remained unbeaten on 112 as he hammered 11 fours and one six against the Black Caps.
Despite KL Rahul’s knock, India suffered a seven wicket loss against the Black Caps as Daryl Mitchell’s century helped New Zealand go over the line and level the series 1-1.
Before Rahul, Indian coach Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak arrived at the Mahakal Temple at around 4 am to take part in the Bhasma Aarti.
During the Bhasma Aarti, both coaches sat in the Nandi Hall and sought the blessings of Lord Mahakal. They remained present for nearly two hours during the ritual and prayed for Team India’s success in the upcoming match.
After the Aarti concluded, Gambhir and Kotak had darshan of Lord Mahakal from the temple threshold. They also offered water to Nandi as part of the customary rituals. This was not Gautam Gambhir’s first visit to the temple. He had also come for darshan along with his family around five months ago. So far, Gambhir has participated in the Bhasma Aarti on four occasions.
The two matches of the ODI series between India and New Zealand has been played. Where the first game was clinched by the hosts as they won the match by 4 wickets. On the other hand, the second game was taken by the Kiwis by 7 wickets. The decider game of the series will be played on January 18th.
With IANS Inputs.
