Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Indian cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma visited Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple on Wednesday to seek blessings ahead of their crucial ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal clash against England at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Earlier, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma were also seen taking darshan at the famous Mumbai temple as the team prepares for one of its most important matches of the tournament.
Suryakumar was also accompanied by his wife, Devisha. The couple took part in rituals as they sought blessings and positive energy ahead of the crucial encounter. They were also felicitated by the temple authority.
Suryakumar started off the tournament with a match-winning performance against the USA, but his strike rate has been a big concern throughout the tournament. While Tilak had a poor start to the tournament as he was struggling with form and a low strike rate, things changed in the Zimbabwe match, where he struck a fast 44. He also played an important role in India's victory against the West Indies as he scored 27 runs off just 15 balls.
India have had a strong campaign so far in the ongoing World Cup, winning six of their seven matches, with their only setback being a 76-run loss to South Africa in the Super 8 stage.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India sealed their semifinal berth with a five-wicket victory over West Indies in a must-win Super 8 clash. After restricting West Indies to 195/4 in 20 overs, India chased down the target successfully, thanks largely to Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97. Key contributions from Tilak Varma and others ensured the chase stayed on track.
Meanwhile, England are also coming to the match with a great performance in the ongoing multi-national tournament. The two-time champions remained on top in their Super 8s group with three wins in three matches, and Harry Brook led team would like to continue the momentum against the defending champions.
--IANS
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