The Indian cricket team’s preparations for their high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal against England took an unusual turn on Tuesday evening, as a lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) led to an hour delay to their final training session. Originally scheduled for 6:00 PM at the Wankhede Stadium, the session was pushed back by team management to avoid an "inauspicious" window as per the Hindu calendar.
While the floodlights remained dark until nearly 7:00 PM, the eventual three-hour session was headlined by a marathon 135-minute batting stint from Hardik Pandya. With the eclipse passing at 6:47 PM, the Men in Blue transitioned from celestial caution to clinical execution, fine-tuning their strategy for Thursday’s marquee clash.
The decision to delay was rooted in traditional beliefs, with sources confirming the team management preferred to start on a "positive note" following the conclusion of the eclipse. The celestial event, which ran from 3:20 PM to 6:47 PM, saw the stadium cast in twilight as ground staff and media waited for the "inauspicious" period to lapse.
This is not the first instance of celestial events dictating the domestic or international schedule in India; notably, Ranji Trophy matches in 2019 saw two-hour delays for similar reasons. Once the lights flickered on at 6:55 PM, the spotlight shifted firmly back to the battle for a spot in the final.
Practice began with high-intensity fielding drills featuring a "target-fire" setup. Players were tasked with collecting a ball and firing at one of three targets: full-height stumps, half-height stumps, or a football placed on the ground. While most played it safe, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh drew massive cheers from the squad for successfully nailing the football target.
If there were any doubts about Hardik Pandya’s workload management, they were silenced during a grueling 2-hour-and-15-minute net session. Working closely with head coach Gautam Gambhir and fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate, Pandya focused on:
Correcting a turning bat and fluid hip rotation during power-hitting.
Moving from conservative drives against regular bowlers to "full power" range-hitting against throwdowns.
Finishing his stint by fist-bumping every single net bowler at 10:00 PM.
The team found out that since it is Chandra Grahan, one should avoid doing anything good [during that time]... the team wanted to start on a positive note.
Team Source to Indian Express
The session saw Suryakumar Yadav return to his "home" turf, looking naturally aggressive with his trademark sweeps and lap shots. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson underwent specialized "pull shot" training, and Abhishek Sharma followed his routine of bowling and fielding before taking his turn with the bat.
Gambhir spent significant time consulting with the pitch curator, assessing the same strip that hosted high-scoring encounters earlier in the tournament. With "minimal dew" reported by staff on the ground, the surface is expected to remain a batting paradise, favoring those who can time the ball well under lights.
