India delays training session due to lunar eclipse ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal against England

The Indian team was scheduled to begin training at 6 pm on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium. But as the clock struck the hour, there was no sign of the players.

Ground staff and media personnel waited. The floodlights remained switched off, casting the ground in a fading twilight. An hour later, word filtered through: the session had been pushed back.

While delayed training slots are hardly unusual in international cricket, this one came with a twist. Sources indicated that with a lunar eclipse underway from 3.20 pm to 6.47 pm, the team management chose not to begin practice during what was considered an inauspicious period as per the Hindu calendar.

At 6.55 pm, the floodlights flickered on. About ten minutes later, the players arrived, and preparations began in earnest.

This is, however, not the first time such a thing happened. In 2019, Ranji Trophy matches in Mumbai and Rajkot had a delayed start late by two hours due to solar eclipse.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir was soon deep in conversation with the pitch curator, assessing the surface and conditions. Fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak took a closer look at the strip, studying its texture under lights.

Sources suggested another high-scoring contest could be on the cards. The Indian fast bowlers, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, went through extended spells, fine-tuning their lengths and variations. The batters, too, spent considerable time in the nets, focusing on timing and range-hitting as the build-up to the marquee clash gathered momentum.

By the time the session wound down, the brief delay had become little more than a footnote – the spotlight firmly back on the game.