Nitish Reddy attends Bhasma Aarti at Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
Ujjain, Jan 19
India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy visited the sacred Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple and attended the divine 4:00 am bhasma aarti on Monday, after concluding his assignment with the Indian team, who lost the three-game ODI series to New Zealand on Sunday at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
After the darshan, he was warmly welcomed and felicitated by the temple committee.
Before the third ODI, former India captain and batting stalwart Virat Kohli, along with spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fielding coach T Dilip, visited the temple in Ujjain on Saturday, and the two cricketers were also felicitated.
Earlier on Friday, a day before Kohli and Kuldeep's visit, head coach Gautam Gambhir and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul also offered prayers at the holy jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.
After clinching a thrilling four-wicket win in the series opener at Vadodara, India entered the second ODI with momentum but suffered a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat against Michael Bracewell's New Zealand.
Both teams headed into the decider with intent, but the Kiwis edged past the hosts and clinched their first-ever ODI series win in India with a 41-run win over the hosts in the third ODI in Indore.
New Zealand were powered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips as they posted a 338-run target for the hosts. India lost Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Rahul within a space of six overs during their chase and were left reeling at 71/4 around the 13th over mark.
However, Virat Kohli continued his purple patch, leading the team's chase from the front with his 54th ODI hundred, but the Men in Blue fell short against the Kiwis, as brilliant bowling by Kristian Clarke and Zakary Foulkes in the final stages of the game helped the visitors initiate a collapse and clinch a victory.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see them connecting with their roots. But honestly, the team needs to focus more on their fielding and middle-order batting. Losing a series at home after winning the first match is not acceptable. Prayers are important, but performance on the field is what truly matters.
Mahakaleshwar is one of the most sacred places. The fact that so many players visited shows their faith. Virat's century was brilliant, but cricket is a team game. We need others to step up consistently.
As someone new to following Indian cricket, I find this blend of intense sport and deep spirituality fascinating. It adds a whole other layer to understanding the team's mindset. Tough loss, but they'll bounce back.
After a tough loss, going to a temple is a great way to find peace and reset. The Bhasma Aarti is something else entirely – a divine experience. Hope the team finds its rhythm soon. Jai Mahakal! 🔱
The real issue was the collapse after Kohli got out. The bowling at the death was poor. Visiting temples is fine, but the management needs to address these clear weaknesses before the next series.
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