Ahead of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England national cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium, Indian players visited the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple on Wednesday, March 5, to seek blessings. Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who has struggled for form in the tournament, was seen making a special wish to Mooshak, Lord Ganesha’s vahana, during the visit.
The trio, dressed in casual attire, offered prayers and performed rituals to seek divine guidance ahead of the high-stakes clash. India have won six of their seven matches in the tournament so far, with their only defeat coming against the South Africa national cricket team in the Super Eight stage. Despite the strong run of results, the team is yet to produce a complete all-round performance, with different departments stepping up at different times rather than firing collectively.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India came under pressure following their Super Eight defeat to South Africa. Their next fixture against West Indies turned into a must-win encounter, effectively a virtual quarter-final to keep their semi-final hopes alive. Indian opener Sanju Samson rose to the occasion, smashing an unbeaten 97 to guide India to a comfortable five-wicket victory over the Caribbeans and confirm their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
High on confidence after the crucial win, India will now aim to triumph in the semi-final and book a place in the final, where they hope to defend their title for the third time. The summit clash is scheduled for March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Meanwhile, New Zealand secured their spot in the final after defeating South Africa by nine wickets in the first semi-final at Eden Gardens.
South Africa posted 169 runs, powered by an unbeaten half-century from Marco Jansen, but it proved insufficient against a dominant Kiwi chase. Tim Seifert (58 off 33) and Finn Allen (100* off 33) stitched together a 117-run opening partnership. Allen’s explosive knock, featuring 10 fours and eight sixes, sealed the deal for the Black Caps and booked their place in the final.
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