Why India Changed Hotels Before the Semi-Final? Suryakumar Yadav Reveals Superstition

Suryakumar Yadav revealed India changed hotels before the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal against England after a superstition suggestion.

India followed several small routines during their successful T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. The team defeated New Zealand in the final to win the title. The win also allowed India to defend the trophy they had won in 2024.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav later revealed an unusual decision taken before the semifinal. The team changed hotels ahead of the crucial match against England. The suggestion came while the squad travelled to Wankhede. Several teams had previously tried similar changes during tournaments.

“We were on the flight to Wankhede for the semi-final when someone suggested we try a hotel change. Many teams have done it. We didn’t want to leave anything on the table that could take us closer to our goal. So if someone has won from there, let’s try it,” he said, while speaking to The Indian Express.

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“People were saying India don’t win in Ahmedabad… this after the 2023 final. But look at it now. We’ve won there, in that same stadium. Now we know there’s no problem with the stadium,” he added.

Notably, India had also adjusted their training schedule before the semifinal in Mumbai because of a lunar eclipse.

In the final, India defended a target of 256 after posting 255/5 in 20 overs. Sanju Samson led the batting with 89 from 46 balls. Ishan Kishan added 54 while Abhishek Sharma contributed 52. New Zealand struggled during the chase. Jasprit Bumrah produced an outstanding spell of 4/15. India bowled out the opposition for 159 in 19 overs. Axar Patel supported well with three wickets.

Samson finished as India’s leading run-scorer. He scored 321 runs in 5 matches at an average of 80.25. Bumrah ended as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 14 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 6.21.