Cricketers who turned to spirituality before important matches

As we grow up we are always told and advised to visit a a religious place and take the blessings of God before continuing with an important task or starting a new project. The blessings from the divine help us excel at the task we wish to accomplish and make sure that there are no obstacles on the way. And these blessings are even more important when the whole country is looking upto you. The pressure is even more intense when you are representing your country in a sport that has mesmerised the whole world since time immemorial. We are talking about Cricket, the sport that has Indians hooked to their TV screens for hours sometimes and with every out our heart sinks a little more.
Here we list 5 cricketers who sought divine blessings before important matches.

Images of Virat Kohli along with Anushka Sharma and their daughter did rounds on the internet when they went to Mahakal temple, Ujjain and when they were seen listening to Premanand Maharaj in Vrindavan. While Kohli once said that he isnt a ‘puja path’ person, he started visiting temples and gurus when his form was proving to be a disaster for the team. After the bhasma aarti at Mahakal and several other temple visits, we can safely say that not only has his form improved as a player, but the divine blessings have helped him be a better player and part of the team.

(Image: Virat.kohli/Instagram)

In the early days of November 2023, cricketer Rishabh Pant was seen frequenting temples and visiting the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh. Also with Pant was Axar Patel, both of them wearing traditional clothes for their visit to seek divine blessings. On his X (formerly Twitter) account, Pant wrote, “Not enough words to describe the energy of the place. Didn’t feel like leaving the temple. Unbelievable positive energy & spiritual energy.” After suffering an injury in one of his matches, Pant has been in the NCA, Bengaluru for his speedy recovery.

(Image: rishabpant/Instagram)

Heartbroken after he was dropped from the team, Kuldeep Yadav was another cricketer who sought the blessings of God. He was seen frequenting various temples, especially the Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain where he was a part of the Bhasma aarti. After he took Mahakaal’s blessings, things took a positive turn for Kuldeep. He made an excellent comeback and was one of the best players in performance during the Asia Cup’ 23.

(Image: kuldeep_18/Instagram)

South African spinner Keshav Maharaj was clicked when he visited the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Ahead of the T20 between S. Africa and India, Keshav Maharaj visited the temple and sought blessings of God. He had previously shared that his ancestors were Indian and were taken to Africa during the indentured labour era. He also wished fans ‘Happy Navaratri’ and went on to perform well in the subsequent matches.

(Image: keshavmaharaj16/Instagram)

Indian cricketer Kl Rahul and wife Athiya Shetty were seen at the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain earlier this year, taking the blessings of Mahakaal and performing the Bhasma aarti. Later, KL Rahul was spotted at the Manjunatha Swamy Temple in Karnataka. He visited the temple in June 23’ and sought the blessings of God. While he was in the NCA owing to his injury during one of the IPL matches, post his visit, he made a comeback in Asia Cup 2023 and was one of the best performers through the series.

(Image: klrahul/Instagram)