India star batter Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma have received invitations for the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.
Kohli is the latest cricketer to get invited to a special ceremony. Other famous players like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni are also invited. Tendulkar got his invitation on January 13 at his home in Mumbai, and Dhoni received his invitation on January 15.
As Ayodhya prepares for a historic ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to all 'Ram Devotees' not to gather in the city on the day of consecration. He mentioned that the public can visit the temple after the formal program concludes on January 22.
PM Modi will oversee the significant event—the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla's idol at the grand temple. The ceremonial placement of Ram Lalla at the shrine's sanctum-sanctorum is scheduled to occur in Ayodhya.
KOHLI MAKES T20I COMEBACK
After an absence of more than 14 months from the shortest format of the game, Kohli marked his return when India faced Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series.
Although the star batter sat out the opening match due to personal reasons, he reappeared in the starting XI for the second T20I in Indore. Kohli contributed 29 runs off 16 deliveries as India secured a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan, establishing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Before the match with Afghanistan, Kohli's previous T20I appearance was at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India were eliminated in the semi-final after a 10-wicket defeat to eventual champions England.
After their victory in Indore, India aim to achieve a clean sweep against Afghanistan in the upcoming third and final match of the series. The match is scheduled to take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on January 17.
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