Mumbai, Feb 5 (IANS) Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir visited the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple on Thursday and sought blessings from Lord Ganesha ahead of the side’s home T20 World Cup campaign. He was accompanied by batting coach Sitanshu Hargovindbhai Kotak.

The Men in Blue will start their title defence on Saturday against the USA when the two sides square off at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

Earlier, Gambhir visited the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati ahead of the third T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand and offered prayers at the historic shrine. After concluding the third game, Gambhir, along with Team India players, visited Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam, before the fourth T20I.

Defending champions India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, are among the strongest contenders for the title this year. If they succeed, the Men in Blue will become the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups. Notably, no host nation has ever lifted the T20 World Cup trophy, giving India a rare opportunity to rewrite history, and denying India both milestones would take something extraordinary.

The sheer depth and class of India’s T20 talent mean this side is a clear step up from the team that went unbeaten across diverse conditions in the USA and the West Indies two years ago. This dominant T20 unit last lost a series back in August 2023, well before that World Cup. Since the start of the previous tournament, India boast a remarkable win–loss ratio of 6.5 in a format known for its unpredictability.

The team has prepared remarkably well. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, they recently won a five-match T20I series against South Africa and New Zealand, reaffirming their dominance over the Proteas.

On Wednesday, they defeated South Africa by 30 runs in the official warm-up match and will look to head into their campaign opener against the USA with the same form and momentum.

–IANS

vi/bc