Mumbai: Having beaten the West Indies in a virtual quarterfinal at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, Team India took it easy on the day of travel before hitting the ground on Tuesday to start preparing for the semifinal against England.
Two days before the bit game against Harry Brook’s men at the Wankhede Stadium, India were scheduled to train from 6 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday.
However, the team management decided to change the practice session, pushing it back by an hour.
What caused this change?
It was apparently due to Tuesday’s Lunar eclipse (Chandra grahan), according to The Indian Express.
The team management found out that the lunar eclipse was to start at 3.20 pm and last till 6.47 pm. As per Hindu rituals, it was inauspicious to train during this period as it could bring bad luck. The moon was to be visible in India from 6.26 pm, and the maximum visibility was to be from 6.33 pm to 6.40 pm according to experts.
“The team found out that since it was chandra graham, one should avoid doing anything good. As India is playing the semifinal against England, the team wanted to start on a positive note. Many felt that we can push the practice time beyond 6.40 pm and avoid doing any activity. The team management agreed and practice was postponed by an hour,” a source told The Indian Express.
Many of the cricketers and support staff of the team are known to be religious minded, and follow rituals. Coach Gautam Gambhir, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma were among those who visited the Kali temple in Kalighat and offered puja ahead of the West Indies clash.
Ahead of the India versus England clash, South Africa will take on New Zealand in the first semifinal at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
India, which lifted the T20 World Cup trophy in June 2024 at Barbados, are looking to become the first team to defend the title.
