Lunar eclipse forces Team India to change training schedule at Wankhede ahead of T20 World Cup semis: Report

The Indian management, spearheaded by Gautam Gambhir, altered the training schedule at Wankhede Stadium due to the lunar eclipse.

Updated on: Mar 3, 2026, 19:29:46 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England, Team India on Tuesday altered its training schedule for match day minus two at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. According to a report in the Indian Express, the team management spearheaded by coach Gautam Gambhir made the decision due to the lunar eclipse. In the official communication sent out by the manager, the Indian board had confirmed that the practice session would be held from 6 to 9 PM on Tuesday, March 3.

India's Abhishek Sharma, right, and head coach Gautam Gambhir. (PTI)

However, the decision to push back the start of the training schedule by one hour was made after they learned that the lunar eclipse would start at 03:20 PM and end at 06:47 PM. According to Hindu rituals, the team found it inauspicious to train during the period, as it brings bad luck.

“The team found out that since it is chandra grahan ‘lunar eclipse’ one should avoid doing anything good. As India is playing semi-finals against England, the team wanted to start on a positive note," the Express quoted a source as saying.

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"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,” the source added.

According to reports, the moon will be visible in India from 06:26 PM, with maximum visibility from 06:33 PM to 06:40 PM.

Throughout the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the Indian team has visited several temples. Head coach Gautam Gambhir visited the Kalighat Temple ahead of the Super 8s match against the West Indies. Gambhir is also scheduled to visit the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai on Wednesday, March 4.

India chasing history

India are chasing history in the T20 World Cup 2026. If the Men in Blue go on to win the title, they would become the first team to defend the T20 World Cup. The side will also become the first team to win the T20 tournament on home soil.

India qualified for the semi-finals after beating the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Sanju Samson played an unbeaten 97-run knock to help India chase down the target of 196 with five wickets in hand and four balls to spare.

In the Super 8s, India lost one match to South Africa, while England, the semi-final opponent, dropped no games. This will be the third T20 World Cup in a row where India and England will face off in the semi-finals.

In the 2022 edition, England hammered India by 10 wickets, while the latter came out on top in the 2024 edition, where India emerged as the eventual winners.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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