India Vs Australia 3rd ODI: Virat Kohli And Anushka Sharma Seek Lord Ganesha’s Blessings Ahead of Rajkot Game And Cricket World Cup 2023, Check PIC

Virat Kohli will be returning to the Indian side for the 3rd ODI against Australia in Rajkot after being given a break for the first two ODIs.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma seek Lord Ganesha's blessings in Mumbai. (Source: Twitter)

Former India captain Virat Kohli has been taking a much-deserved break ahead of a hectic couple of months beginning on Wednesday in Rajkot when Team India take on Australia in the third and final ODI match. Although the Indian cricket team have won the series 2-0 with two big wins in Mohali and Indore last week, skipper Rohit Sharma – who also returns for the deciding ODI – will be keen to complete a 3-0 whitewash as that will ensure that Team India enter the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 next month as the No. 1-ranked ODI team.

Virat Kohli and his Bollywood star wife Anushka Sharma have been enjoying the Ganesh Mahotsava festivities in Mumbai over the last week after the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter was given a break from the first couple of matches of the three-match India vs Australia series after the Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka. Kohli and Anushka were clicked seeking blessings of Lord Ganesha ahead of the Rajkot ODI and the Cricket World Cup 2023 in Mumbai at a friend’s place in a picture which went viral on social media.

Check Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s picture seeking blessings of Lord Ganesha HERE…

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma at a friend's residence for taking Lord Ganesha's blessings. pic.twitter.com/YZIwHBIh4J — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 25, 2023

Kohli has been in impressive touch with the bat, completing 13,000 ODI runs during the Asia Cup 2023 tournament in Sri Lanka earlier this month. He also scored his 47th ODI century in the Super 4 match against arch-rivals Pakistan which India won by a massive 228 runs en route to winning the Asia Cup 2023 title.

Meanwhile, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be available for the third ODI against Australia after being given a one-match break but all-rounder Axar Patel will be given a few more days to recover from his quadricep tear ahead of the World Cup, BCCI sources told PTI news agency on Monday.

While Ravichandran Ashwin has done decently in his two outings, the team management is still bullish about the fitness of Axar, the left-arm spin bowling all-rounder. “The team management wants to give Axar full chance of recovery. His forearm and finger bruises have healed but may be in another few days, he would get fit for World Cup. India's first match is on September 8 and hence there is time. As far as Ashwin is concerned, we now know that he is match fit and in rhythm. If Axar can't make it, Ashwin walks in,” a BCCI source privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The final squad announcement is on September 27 and it is understood that Axar still remains the team management’s top choice for the reserve spinner's slot ahead of the Tamil Nadu veteran. It is understood that young batting star Shubman Gill and bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur have been given a few days rest ahead of the third ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday.

“As per rotation policy of the team, Bumrah, who was given a couple of days off to freshen up is back along with skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. Gill, who has been playing continuously gets to cool his heels for 3-4 days along with Shardul Thakur,” the source added.

(with PTI inputs)