Watch: Virat Kohli visits Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple ahead of IND vs NZ 3rd ODI in Indore

The former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, is currently featuring in the ongoing three-match series against New Zealand as he smashed 116 runs in the first two games so far in Vadodara and Rajkot including a 93 run knock in the opening game at the BCA Stadium, which India went on to win before the queues bouncing back to level the series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. 

Ahead of the decider on January 18, Kohli, along with the left-arm leg spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, visited the Sri Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain to seek blessings as the third and final ODI takes place at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. A video of Kohli’s temple visit has gone viral on social media platforms, where he can be seen bowing his head in prayer at the temple.

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Kohli came into the series with two successive half-centuries and two centuries in the last four innings of the format against South Africa and Australia, along with one century and one half-century for the Delhi side in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26.

Virat Kohli seeks blessings in Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain

The third ODI will be a decider at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, where Kohli has a forgettable record despite the batting-friendly surface with short boundaries, as the right-handed batter has managed to score only 99 runs in the four innings of the format at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 108.79, with his highest score being just 36.

Watch the video here: 

In the previous game, he was dismissed by Kristian Clarke on 23 runs when he looked to find the gap with the ball swinging back to hit the stumps. It reflected the memory of his dismissal from the 202 Three ODI World Cup against Australia at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Kuldeep Yadav will also be under pressure heading into a game, as he was belted for 82 runs in his 10-over spell during the last ODI, as Daryl Mitchell, who celebrated a match-winning century, played the sweep shots against the spinner with ease.