Former India skipper Virat Kohli paid a visit to the Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain ahead of the decisive third ODI against New Zealand, scheduled to be played in Indore on Sunday, January 18. India had taken the lead by winning the opening match in Vadodara, but New Zealand bounced back strongly with a dominant victory in Rajkot to square the three-match series 1–1.
The win in the second ODI also brought an end to New Zealand’s eight-match losing streak against India in the 50-over format. The visitors will now be eyeing their maiden ODI series triumph on Indian soil with a win in the decider. Ahead of the high-stakes clash, Kohli sought blessings at the renowned 150-year-old temple, with teammate Kuldeep Yadav also spotted alongside him in videos circulating on social media.
You can watch the video here:
Virat Kohli and Kuldeep Yadav attended the Bhasma Aarti at 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 brilliant knock of 93 in the first ODI, helping India win by six wickets while chasing 301. However, he scored only 21 in the second match as India posted 284, which New Zealand chased down in the 48th over.
Virat Kohli Reclaims No. 1 Spot In ICC ODI Rankings Amid IND–NZ Series
Virat Kohli returned to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings in the latest update ahead of the second ODI against New Zealand, marking his first stint at No. 1 since mid-2021. The senior batter has now spent a total of 1,550 days at the summit of the ODI rankings, the highest by any Indian player and the third-most overall.
Kohli has been in outstanding touch in the 50-over format since stepping away from Test cricket in mid-2025. After a surprising pair of ducks against Australia in October, the right-hander bounced back strongly by registering seven consecutive scores of 50 or more in List-A cricket.
Five of those efforts came in ODIs, including two centuries in successive matches, before the run was halted in the second ODI against New Zealand. Kohli will be eager to regain momentum in the series decider as India aim to avoid a maiden home ODI series loss to the Kiwis.
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