The Ram Mandir Pratishtha took place on 22nd January 2024 and it was an ecstatic moment for the entire nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the temple and had unveiled the idol of Lord Ram.
Several celebrities and sportspersons were invited to this grand ceremony in Ayodha, Uttar Pradesh. It was a convergence of spirituality, sports and entertainment. The birthplace of Lord Ram witnessed a grand influx of visitors from all parts of the globe.
Cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Ravindra Jadeja, Kapil Dev and Harmanpreet Kaur were witnessed in this grand event. Cricketers in the form of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma too had received the invitations for going to the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha.
There were also social media posts that had circulated in the buildup to the ceremony where Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma were seen holding the invitation card.
But the reality is the star couple failed to attend the event. On the same day of the Ceremony, the apex body of Indian cricket, the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) had released a press release highlighting the fact that Virat Kohli will be missing out on the first 2 Tests of the India vs England Test series due to personal reasons.
Fans speculate that because of personal reasons, which might include the birth of Kohli’s second child, as a plausible reason for his non-attendance in Ayodhya on 22nd January 2024.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma was witnessed practicing in Mumbai ahead of the Test series against England. It could because of this reason that he failed to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya.
Even former Indian captain and the skipper of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), MS Dhoni, failed to attend the ceremony. The reason for his absence is unknown.
India lock horns with England in a 5-match Test series
The Indian cricket team will be challenged by Ben Stokes’ England cricket team in a 5-match Test series. The 1st Test match will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad and is slated to kickstart from 25th January 2024.
India had drawn the previous Test series versus England, which took place in 2021-22 in England. The 5th Test between these two sides was rescheduled to 2022 after a spate of Covid-19 cases had increased in the Indian cricket team.
Also read: 4 Times When Virat Kohli Missed Test Matches Due To Personal Reasons
