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Team India Training - (Source:X.com)
In a significant development, Team India have postponed their training session on Tuesday, March 3 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Notably, the Men in Blue will lock horns against England on March 5 in the all-important semi-finals.
The two teams have a history of meeting each other in the World Cup semis, and the Men in Blue are eyeing to script history. Both teams are chasing their 3rd T20 World Cup title, and the Suryakumar Yadav-led side are fresh off a historic win against the West Indies.
India Postpones Training Due To Lunar Eclipse
In a significant development, India’s preparation for the England clash have taken a hit as they have delayed their net sessions on Tuesday, March 3, because of the Lunar Eclipse as reported by Indian Express.. For the unversed, the first Eclipse of 2026 is out today, and the time is from 6:42 pm to 6:47 pm in Mumbai.
As a result of the natural phenomenon, the management decided to delay the training by an hour and hit the nets from 7:00 pm. Notably, India usually trains from 6-9 window, but they have rescheduled it to 7-10 because the Eclipse is considered inauspicious as per Hindu Rituals.
“The team found out that since it is chandra grahan ‘lunar eclipse, one should avoid doing anything good. As India is playing the semi-finals against England, the team wanted to start on a positive note. Many felt that we can push the practice time until 6:40 PM one should avoid doing any activity. The team management agreed to it, and practice was postponed by an hour,” a source confirmed as reported by Indian Express.
Gautam Gambhir To Visit Siddhivinayak Temple
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir is quite a religious guy and he visited several temples during India's different venues for the T20 World Cup 2026. For the unversed, the former India opener will also visit the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai to pray for team's success in the remainder of the tournament.
Also Read: Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Pitch Report, Weather Report For SA vs NZ- Semifinal, T20 World Cup 2026
Even during India's stay in Kolkata and Chennai, Gambhir made sure to visit temples and keep a ritual going on. It is quite common for cricketers to take a pledge during important tournaments as seen from MS Dhoni during 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Gautam Gambhir Motivates Team Ahead of England Clash
Besides the off-field rituals, the team India remains motivated and are giving it their all in the field. Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir's clip of motivating the team has also gone viral on social media.
"Guys, there is gonna be pressure. One thing is very clear, don't hide from pressure. We embrace it, we face it and if any time, we are under pressure, make sure (that) we take the positive route. Enjoy playing this game, this is what you play this game... this sport for. This is what you played, all your life games, like this at home, knockout kind of a game so make sure, we go out there excited and not under pressure," Gautam Gambhir added.
For the unversed, India faced England in 2022 World Cup semis where the latter beat Men in Blue by 10 wickets. The two heavyweight again locked horns in 2024 semis where India avenged their defeat.
Also Read: Chinnaswamy Stadium To Host IPL 2026 Final; 5 RCB Home Matches Confirmed In Bengaluru
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