Gautam Gambhir Visits Mahakaleshwar Temple Amid ODI Series

Gautam Gambhir's Spiritual Visit

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 16: The head coach of the Indian Men's Cricket Team, Gautam Gambhir, made a visit to the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on Friday, coinciding with the ongoing ODI series between India and New Zealand.

During his time at the temple, Gambhir participated in the Bhasma Aarti and offered his prayers at one of the twelve Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva.

After his visit, he commended the arrangements for the devotees and expressed his contentment with how the rituals were conducted. Gambhir also mentioned his eagerness to return to the temple in the future.

"The arrangements were excellent, and the darshan was seamless. I look forward to coming back soon," the head coach remarked after his prayers.

Gambhir's visit comes just before the crucial third ODI in the series, which is currently tied at 1-1, setting the stage for an exciting final match between the two teams.

India kicked off the series with a thrilling four-wicket win against New Zealand in the first ODI held in Vadodara. However, New Zealand bounced back strongly in the second ODI at Rajkot, achieving a convincing seven-wicket victory to level the series.

In the second ODI, India set a competitive total of 284 runs for 7 wickets in their allotted 50 overs after being asked to bat first.

Captain Shubman Gill contributed 56 runs off 53 balls, hitting nine fours and one six. Rohit Sharma added 24 runs from 38 balls, while Virat Kohli scored 23 runs off 29 balls, including two boundaries. Wicketkeeper KL Rahul shone with an impressive unbeaten century, scoring 112 runs off 92 balls, featuring 11 fours and one six.

For New Zealand, bowlers Kyle Jamieson (1/70), Zakary Foulkes (1/67), Kristian Clarke (3/56), Jayden Lennox (1/42), and captain Michael Bracewell (1/34) took wickets.

In their chase for 285 runs, Will Young delivered a stellar performance, scoring 87 runs off 98 balls, including seven fours. He formed a remarkable 162-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell, who played a match-winning innings of 131 runs off 117 balls, featuring 11 fours and two sixes, leading New Zealand to their highest successful ODI chase in India.

For India, Harshit Rana (1/52), Prasidh Krishna (1/49), and Kuldeep Yadav (1/82) were among the wicket-takers.