T20 World Cup 2026: India change practice plans ahead of IND vs ENG Semi-Final — Reason Revealed

India's T20 World Cup semi-final preparation process began with an unexpected development when team management decided to change their scheduled practice time because of an upcoming lunar eclipse.

The Indian team had planned to practice at Wankhede Stadium from 6 PM to 9 PM according to their established pattern for crucial knockout matches. The management decided to move the training time back because a lunar eclipse would begin at 3:20 PM and end at 6:47 PM.

The decision stemmed from traditional beliefs about lunar eclipses which consider this time period to be inauspicious for beginning important tasks. The Indian team wanted to start their semi-final match preparations against England with positive energy.

Rituals and belief shape India’s semi-final preparations

The moon would stay hidden until 6:26 PM until it became fully visible between 6:33 PM and 6:40 PM. The team decided to begin their practice session between 6:45 PM and 7:00 PM because they wanted to skip the eclipse time. The session was then expected to continue until approximately 9 PM.

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India has maintained their traditional practices throughout the entire tournament. Several players reportedly visited temples in different cities ahead of key matches to seek blessings before stepping onto the field. The team has achieved successful results through their spiritual method which helped them win against West Indies during Super 8 in their match to secure a place in the semi-finals.

India aims to become the first team in history to defend their T20 World Cup title because they currently hold the championship title. The team designs their training schedule to achieve their goal of winning another worldwide championship while respecting their traditional practices and developing their internal belief system.