CWC 2023: On Friday, a special puja was held at the Lord Cricket Ganesh temple in Chennai to gear up for the ODI World Cup 2023 Final between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The unique Cricket Ganesha Temple in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, features idols of Lord Ganesha in various cricketing avatars, with eleven heads symbolising the eleven members of a cricket team. The presiding deity has eleven heads, and there are additional Ganesha idols in batting and bowling postures.
Rama Krishnan, the founder of the temple, conducted a special prayer, chanting cricket bhajans during the pooja. Cricket enthusiasts often visit the Ganesh temple to offer prayers before India’s matches. Krishnan expressed that Lord Ganesha’s blessings would be bestowed equally upon both right-handed and left-handed players, whether they are batsmen or bowlers.
Team India, who went undefeated throughout the event, advanced to the final with an all-around effort against New Zealand in the semi-finals. Virat Kohli, a famous Indian hitter, made history by becoming the first player to score 500 runs in ODIs. In the match, India reached 397/4, while Mohammed Shami led the bowling assault, taking seven wickets to hold off a resolute New Zealand response highlighted by Daryl Mitchell’s 134.
Australia became the second finalist in the tournament after defeating South Africa by three wickets at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.