Ujjain, January 19 (NationPress) Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made a pilgrimage to the revered Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple and participated in the sacred 4:00 am bhasma aarti on Monday morning. This visit followed his stint with the Indian cricket team, which suffered a loss in the ODI series against New Zealand the previous day at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

After the spiritual experience, he received a warm reception and was honored by the temple committee.

Prior to the final ODI, former Indian captain Virat Kohli, accompanied by spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fielding coach T Dilip, visited the temple on Saturday, where both cricketers were also honored.

On the previous Friday, before Kohli and Kuldeep’s visit, head coach Gautam Gambhir and wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul also offered their prayers at the holy jyotirlinga dedicated to Lord Shiva.

After a thrilling four-wicket victory in the series opener at Vadodara, India entered the second ODI with high hopes but faced a significant seven-wicket defeat against Michael Bracewell’s New Zealand.

The teams approached the deciding match with determination, but the Kiwis secured a historic first ODI series win in India with a 41-run victory in the third ODI in Indore.

New Zealand’s success was bolstered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, who set a challenging target of 338 runs for India. During the chase, India quickly lost Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Rahul, leaving the team struggling at 71/4 by the 13th over.

However, Virat Kohli showcased his form, leading the team’s effort with his 54th ODI century. Despite his efforts, the Men in Blue could not overcome the Kiwis, as exceptional bowling from Kristian Clarke and Zakary Foulkes in the game’s closing stages resulted in a collapse for India, handing victory to New Zealand.