With a high-stakes semi-final on the horizon, the India national cricket team has made a small but notable adjustment to its training schedule ahead of the clash against England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The team reportedly pushed back its practice session on Tuesday due to a lunar eclipse.

Initially, the team management had scheduled the practice session from 6 PM to 9 PM at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, following their usual routine two days before an important match. However, once they learned that the lunar eclipse would begin at 3:20 PM and continue until 6:47 PM, the management decided to delay the start of training.

According to sources close to the team, some members felt that beginning practice during the eclipse period would be inauspicious based on traditional Hindu beliefs. Since India are preparing for a crucial knockout game, the players and support staff preferred to avoid conducting any significant activity during that time window.

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“The team came to know that it was ‘Chandra Grahan’ and traditionally people avoid starting anything important during that period. With such a big match coming up, the idea was to begin preparations on a positive note. So the team management agreed to push the practice session to around 6:40 PM,” a source revealed.

The Indian cricket team delayed their March 3 training in Mumbai to avoid the Lunar Eclipse. They reportedly wanted to avoid the ‘bad luck’ associated with the ‘Chandra Grahan’. https://t.co/ppfZoB7w2k

— News18 CricketNext (@cricketnext) March 3, 2026

The Indian side has been quietly following several spiritual routines during the tournament. On multiple occasions throughout the competition, players have been seen visiting temples before matches to seek blessings. During the Super 8 stage, some members of the squad even visited temples in Kolkata ahead of key games.

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India secured their place in the semi-finals after a crucial victory over the West Indies cricket team in their final Super 8 encounter. With that win, the defending champions moved one step closer to history as they attempt to become the first side to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title.

All eyes will now be on Thursday’s semi-final in Mumbai, where India will face England in what promises to be another high-pressure showdown.