Team India kicked off their South Africa T20I series on a spiritual note as T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav (SKY), head coach Gautam Gambhir, and several squad members visited the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings before the opening match.
SKY arrived with his wife Devisha Shetty, drawing huge cheers from fans waiting outside the temple. Batters Tilak Varma, fielding coach T. Dilip, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, and other support staff also joined the divine visit.
“Team India will surely succeed”
Rabi Sankar Pratihari, secretary of the Puri District Athletic Association, said the visit was a positive sign for the Men in Blue.
“It’s wonderful that the team received God’s blessings. The manager, coach, captain and players all prayed together. Team India will surely succeed,” he said.
Massive security as fans crowd temple
With thousands of enthusiastic supporters attempting to catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes, security was significantly beefed up.
Puri SP Prateek Geeta Singh revealed that police created a detailed movement plan:
“We deployed additional security at the temple and alerted all police stations on the route. A special ring-round protection team ensured the players’ safety.”
India vs South Africa: Rivalry resumes
The first T20I takes place tonight at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, marking the teams’ first meeting in the format since India’s iconic seven-run win in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.
This series also marks a crucial phase in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 preparations, with key players like Suryakumar, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Shivam Dube entering the contest after strong performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
As the buzz builds for the high-voltage clash, fans believe the blessings from Shri Jagannath Temple may give Team India the perfect spiritual start to the series.