Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Members of the Indian men’s cricket team visited the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple on Wednesday to seek blessings of Lord Ganesha ahead of their crucial ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal clash against England at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Among those who offered prayers were Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma. The players took darshan at the shrine as the team geared up for one of its most important matches of the tournament.

The three players offered prayers and took part in rituals as they sought blessings and positive energy ahead of the crucial encounter.

Abhishek is struggling for runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 as he has scored only one half-century in six matches he has played so far, while Kishan started well in the group stage, but didn’t get the runs in the Super 8s. Axar is also not able to make a big impact.

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 is also coming to the match with a great performance in the ongoing mega 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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