Former India skipper Virat Kohli paid a visit to the Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain ahead of the decisive third ODI against Recent Zealand, scheduled to be played in Indore on Sunday, January 18. India had taken the lead by winning the opening match in Vadodara, but Recent Zealand bounced back strongly with a dominant victory in Rajkot to square the three-match series 1–1.
The win within the second ODI also brought an end to Recent Zealand’s eight-match losing streak against India within the 50-over format. The visitors will now be eyeing their maiden ODI series triumph on Indian soil with a win within the decider. Ahead of the high-stakes clash, Kohli sought blessings on the renowned 150-year-old temple, with teammate Kuldeep Yadav also spotted alongside him in videos circulating on social media.
You’ll be able to watch the video here:
Virat Kohli and Kuldeep Yadav attended the Bhasma Aarti on the Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple. ❤️pic.twitter.com/BIDq8q8MU8
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 17, 2026
🚨 KOHLI AT UJJAIN 🚨
– Virat Kohli at Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain for blessings. 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/OyInzQEasR
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 17, 2026
Kohli played a superb knock of 93 in the primary ODI, helping India win by six wickets while chasing 301. Nevertheless, he scored only 21 within the second match as India posted 284, which Recent Zealand chased down within the forty eighth over.
Virat Kohli Reclaims No. 1 Spot In ICC ODI Rankings Amid IND–NZ Series
Virat Kohli returned to the highest of the ICC ODI batting rankings in the most recent update ahead of the second ODI against Recent Zealand, marking his first stint at No. 1 since mid-2021. The senior batter has now spent a complete of 1,550 days on the summit of the ODI rankings, the best by any Indian player and the third-most overall.
Kohli has been in outstanding touch within the 50-over format since stepping away from Test cricket in mid-2025. After a surprising pair of geese against Australia in October, the right-hander bounced back strongly by registering seven consecutive scores of fifty or more in List-A cricket.
Five of those efforts got here in ODIs, including two centuries in successive matches, before the run was halted within the second ODI against Recent Zealand. Kohli will likely be desperate to regain momentum within the series decider as India aim to avoid a maiden home ODI series loss to the Kiwis.
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