Gambhir Pays Visit to Kalighat Temple Ahead of India-England T20I
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Synopsis
Kolkata, Jan 21 (NationPress) India will kick off the new year with a T20 series against England at Eden Gardens, following an embarrassing defeat to Australia. Before the series, head coach Gautam Gambhir visited the Kali Temple in Kalighat to pray for the team's success.
Key Takeaways
- Gautam Gambhir visited Kali Temple for blessings.
- India aims for a strong start against England.
- Mohammed Shami returns for India after injury.
- Mark Wood to rejoin England squad.
- Series spans multiple cities including Mumbai.
Kolkata, Jan 21 (NationPress) India is set to kick off the new year with a T20 series against England at Eden Gardens, marking their first series following an embarrassing defeat to Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series Down Under. Prior to this series, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir paid a visit to the renowned Kali Temple at Kalighat to seek blessings for his team's success.
Gambhir has a deep-rooted connection with the city of Kolkata, having captained and mentored the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their two IPL titles in 2014 and 2024. The head coach was observed praying and taking blessings at the sacred temple on the eve of the first match.
The Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata is esteemed as the most sacred Shaktipeeth among the 51 Shakti Peethas in India, where parts of Devi Sati's body are believed to have fallen during Shiva's Rudra Tandava. Kalighat marks the location where the toes of the right foot of Shakti (Sati) are said to have fallen.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India will be strengthened by the return of pace veteran Mohammed Shami ahead of the crucial Champions Trophy, commencing next month. Shami last represented India in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November 2023, after recovering from a heel injury that had sidelined him until November last year.
On the other hand, pacer Mark Wood will make his comeback to the team for the first time since August, joining Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton in England's pace attack as the visitors announced their playing XI for the series opener on Tuesday.
India and England have clashed 24 times in T20Is, with India holding a slight edge with 13 wins to England's 11. Notably, India has triumphed in five of the last seven T20I encounters against England since 2021, with their most recent T20I meeting taking place during the semifinals of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup, where India achieved a memorable victory.
The series will commence in Kolkata and subsequently progress to Chennai, Rajkot, Pune, and Mumbai for the remaining matches, with the final T20I set to be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2.
Following the T20I series, the two teams will engage in a three-match ODI series starting in Nagpur on February 6, providing fans a glimpse into India's preparations for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
