Team India changed their hotel before the T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed this was a superstitious decision to avoid negative memories from the 2023 ODI World Cup loss and create a new environment, a move that ultimately helped them break the 'Ahmedabad curse' and win the title.
Team India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav explained the reason behind the squad’s switching their hotel ahead of the T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
Before the highly anticipated title clash, the India squad decided to shift their hotel as well as the dressing room to remove the negative memories from the 2023 ODI World Cup Final, where they lost to Australia. It was reported that the India squad avoided staying at the ITC Narmada, the same hotel they stayed at during the 2023 ODI World Cup final, and moved to Taj Skyline in Ahmedabad upon arrival in the city.
The Men in Blue stayed at the ITC Narmada for the Super 8 match against South Africa, and they lost that game. reinforcing their decision to different hotel, which was accepted by the BCCI, to avoid any lingering negative memories ahead of the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
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Why India Changed the Hotel?
After India’s T20 World Cup triumph in Ahmedabad, Suryakumar Yadav revealed that the decision to switch hotels was taken before the semifinal against England, as the team wanted to try a new environment to boost their chances in the final.
“We were on the flight to Wankhede for the semi-final when someone suggested we try a hotel change,” Suryakumar told the Indian Express.
“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 added.
Ahead of the semifinal clash against England in Mumbai, Team India postponed their practice session by an hour as a precautionary measure due to a lunar eclipse. It was believed that practicing during the lunar eclipse would be inauspicious, so the session was postponed by an hour to avoid any negative influence on the team’s performance.
The superstitious decision paid off as Team India defeated England by seven runs to seal their place in the final against New Zealand.
Breaking the Ahmedabad Curse
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was long considered unlucky for India in ICC events, as they lost the 2023 ODI World Cup Final against Australia and the Super 8 match against South Africa at the same venue, leaving the fans leery of another setback.
However, the Ahmedabad curse was eventually broken after the Men in Blue defeated New Zealand to lift their third T20 World Cup trophy. Suryakumar Yadav said that the final victory has ended India’s losing streak at the Narendra Modi Stadium, proving the stadium was no longer unlucky for the team.
"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," Suryakumar said.
With the T20 World Cup title defence, India became the first team to win back-to-back editions of the Men’s T20 World Cup, and the third overall, and the first to win the title on home soil, capping an extraordinary two-year period with six ICC triumphs.
Throughout the title-winning campaign, the Men in Blue lost only one match in seven outings, which came against South Africa in the Super 8 stage, before bouncing back strongly to dominate the knockout rounds and clinch the prestigious title with a commanding victory over New Zealand.
