Ujjain’s sacred Mahakaleshwar Temple welcomed a special guest early Monday morning. Young Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, fresh from the third ODI against New Zealand in Indore, joined the revered Bhasm Aarti at 4 AM. The temple committee honored him with traditional rituals, marking a moment of spiritual solace amid cricket’s pressures.
This visit follows a tough defeat for India at Holkar Stadium, where they lost the series 1-2 to New Zealand—the visitors’ first-ever ODI series win on Indian soil. Despite the heartbreak, Reddy shone brightly, smashing a vital 53 runs in his fourth ODI innings, including his maiden half-century.
Captain Shubman Gill praised Reddy’s potential, emphasizing the team’s long-term vision for the 2027 World Cup. ‘Nitish is key for us in both batting and bowling,’ Gill noted, signaling more opportunities ahead.
Reddy isn’t new to the international stage. Having debuted across all formats, he’s notched a Test century in 10 matches (396 runs, 8 wickets), 100 ODI runs, and in T20Is, 90 runs with 3 wickets. The management sees him as a cornerstone all-rounder.
Players like Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, coach Gautam Gambhir, and fielding coach T Dilip have also sought blessings here. Such pilgrimages highlight how faith bolsters mental resilience in elite sports.