KL Rahul visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain ahead of the decisive third ODI between India and New Zealand in Indore, seeking blessings at one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The India head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also offered prayers at the temple before the series decider, highlighting how important this clash is for the team’s campaign.

KL Rahul seeks blessings before Indore decider

Ahead of the third ODI at Holkar Stadium in Indore, KL Rahul travelled to the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain to perform puja and seek divine blessings. He offered prayers at the sacred Jyotirlinga and also performed traditional worship of Nandi, following the customary rituals observed by devotees. Rahul has visited this temple several times in recent years, including before IPL 2024 with his parents and ahead of the Indore Test in 2023 with his wife Athiya Shetty, reflecting his strong spiritual connection with Mahakal.

Rahul’s superb form in the New Zealand series

Rahul comes into the series decider in excellent touch with the bat, having scored a brilliant unbeaten 112 in the second ODI against New Zealand. His knock included 11 fours and one six and was the backbone of India’s total in that match. However, despite his ton, India lost by seven wickets as Daryl Mitchell’s century powered New Zealand to victory and levelled the series 1–1, setting up a high-pressure final ODI in Indore.

Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak join early-morning Bhasma Aarti

Before Rahul’s visit, India’s coaching duo Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak arrived at the Mahakal Temple around 4 am to attend the famous Bhasma Aarti. They sat in the Nandi Hall for nearly two hours, taking part in the early-morning rituals and praying for India’s success in the decisive ODI. After the Aarti, they had darshan of Lord Mahakal from the temple threshold and offered water to Nandi as part of the traditional practices. This was Gambhir’s fourth time attending the Bhasma Aarti, having also visited the temple with his family around five months earlier.

Spiritual routine around a crucial ODI

The repeated visits by Rahul and Gambhir to Mahakal ahead of big matches show how faith and routine are part of their preparation along with cricketing work. With the series on the line and New Zealand in good form, the Indian camp has mixed intense on-field planning with quiet time at one of the country’s most revered temples. Fans will now watch closely to see if Rahul can carry his form and calm mindset from Ujjain to Indore in the winner-takes-all clash.