A day after India sealed the three match ODI series against South Africa in Visakhapatnam, Virat Kohli quietly visited the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Simhachalam to offer prayers and give thanks. Virat Kohli, the Player of the Series in the series, visited the temple on December 7, 2025 and carried out rituals including darshan and traditional offerings. The short visit was captured on mobile and clips of Kohli at the temple went viral on social media.
Virat Kohli’s temple visit came after a red hot series with South Africa in which he scored two centuries and a fifty across three matches. His run of form also left him as India’s leading ODI run scorer for 2025. In Vizag the third ODI performance assisted India in securing a 2-1 series victory.
How the Vizag match set the tone
The ACA VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam was one-sided in favour of India in the third ODI. India responded to this by Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav critical spells after Quinton de Kock had hit a century on the one hand and South Africa kept the total under control. India chased the target comfortably, with Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring a century and Kohli contributing an unbeaten fifty to secure a nine wicket victory. The victory not only won the series but also completed a personal purple patch by Kohli.
A spiritual shift that began months earlier
Virat Kohli’s Simhachalam trip is the latest in a series of spiritual outings that have become more visible this year. On May 13, 2025, a day after his Test retirement announcement, Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma visited Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj at the Radha Keli Kunj ashram in Vrindavan to seek blessings. The visit was widely reported and video of the couple with the spiritual leader circulated online.
A few days later the couple were also seen visiting the Ram temple and Hanuman Garhi in Ayodhya, another public display of their spiritual interest and simple devotional practice. These visits were reported by the leading news sources and social media outlets back then.
Anushka’s influence and a calmer Kohli
People close to the couple and a number of reports have cited the influence of Anushka Sharma in promoting the spiritual lifestyle of Kohli. The Vrindavan visit in May came at a personally significant moment for Virat Kohli and the couple’s public, low key appearances with Premanand Ji Maharaj suggested a deliberate turn toward quiet reflection and faith based practices. That shift has coincided with strong on field performances in white ball cricket, and fans and commentators have often linked the calmer, focused Kohli to this growing spiritual routine.
Temple honours and public reaction in Vizag
At Simhachalam, Kohli was welcomed by temple officials and offered special prayers. Vedic chants and traditional honours were part of the brief ceremony, and Kohli received prasadam and a portrait from the temple trustees. Those who saw him were delighted to see him and videos of the visit went viral in social media. The visit was respectful and private, with Kohli keeping company only with a small group of team staff and a few members connected to the Andhra Cricket Association.
What this means for fans and for Kohli’s form
Virat Kohli has been so influenced by spirituality that it now forms a major part of his off field life as much as his training. Whether it is seeking blessings after a strong performance or simply taking time out to reflect, these visits have given fans a glimpse of a different, calmer side of one of world cricket’s most intense competitors. Following his ODI winning performances, and the Player of the Series award, the small pilgrimage that Kohli made to Simhachalam seemed like a moment of gratitude and grounding.
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