WATCH: Virat Kohli maintain spiritual streak, visits Simhachalam Temple in Visakhapatnam ahead of 3rd ODI vs South Africa last week
Former India captain Virat Kohli emerged at the ‘Player of the Series’ after Team India’s 2-1 ODI series win over South Africa last week. Kohli ended the three-match series as the leading run getter with 302 runs including two centuries and one unbeaten fifty.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter remained unbeaten on 65 in the third and final ODI match at Visakhapatnam as India cantered home to a nine-wicket win on Saturday to clinch the series. Kohli has been become quite spiritual over the year, regularly visiting Premanand Maharaj with his Bollywood star wife Anushka Sharma and his two kids as well.
Even before the third ODI against South Africa, Kohli along with Team India all-rounder Washington Sundar visited the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple or Simhachalam Temple in Visakhapatnam to offer his prayer. The temple officials were at hand to receive Kohli and some of his family members and even escorted them for ‘darshan’.
A video of Virat Kohli offering prayers at the Simhachalam Temple went viral on social media. They first took part in the traditional Kappasthambham Alinganam (embracing the sacred pillar) ritual before proceeding to the deity’s darshan.
Virat kohli visited Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam, before the match pic.twitter.com/sJmdkeEErL
— (@wrognxvirat) December 7, 2025
“Kohli visited the temple along with his family members and Team India representatives,” the official told PTI, adding that scholars later chanted Veda Ashirvachanam to the sound of Nadaswaram after the darshan.
Later, priests honoured Kohli and Sundar with the temple’s Shesha Vasthram (sacred cloth) and presented them with the deity’s portrait and prasadam on behalf of the Devasthanam.
Virat Kohli jets off to London to celebrate 8th marriage anniversary
Immediately after the ODI series got over, Kohli flew back to London to spend his 8th marriage anniversary with his wife Anushka Sharma. Kohli and Anushka had got married in Tuscany in December 2017. The couple have one daughter, Vamika, born in January 2021 and one son, Akaay, born in February 2024.
With his two centuries in the ODI series against South Africa, Kohli now has 53 tons in 50-over cricket and overall 84 centuries in international cricket. He needs another 16 centuries in the next couple of years till the 2027 ODI World Cup to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s untouchable record of 100 international centuries.
Kohli will be next seen in action in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in January next year.