T20 World Cup 2026: India set to face South Africa in sole warm-up clash
India will wrap up their ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand with the final game on January 31 in Thiruvananthapuram, before regrouping in Mumbai for WC preparations.
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Defending champions India are expected to play a crucial warm-up game against South Africa ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. This practice match is tentatively scheduled for February 4 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and will be India’s final preparation before beginning their title defence at the marquee event.
India will wrap up their ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand with the final game on January 31 in Thiruvananthapuram, before regrouping in Mumbai for World Cup preparations on February 3. The co-host team’s World Cup campaign is set to take off on February 7 at Wankhede Stadium, where India will face the United States in their opening match.
The clash with South Africa is likely to be India’s only warm-up fixture ahead of the tournament, giving Suryakumar Yadav’s men a valuable opportunity to fine-tune combinations and assess form against quality opposition. According to Cricbuzz, the plan remains in place barring any last-minute changes arising from scheduling disruptions, such as Bangladesh’s exit from the competition and Scotland’s inclusion.
Neither the International Cricket Council (ICC) nor the BCCI has formally announced the warm-up schedule yet, but discussions with Cricket South Africa (CSA) have confirmed the likely matchup. India and South Africa previously met in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, where the Men in Blue successfully defended their title with a narrow victory. The two teams have also met recently in a T20I bilateral series, with India winning by 3-1 margin.
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Once official confirmation arrives, the Feb 4 warm-up against South Africa will provide both teams with a crucial final preparation before the World Cup officially begins.
Usually, the warm-up contests are announced beforehand, but due to controversies surrounding Bangladesh’s inclusion, the ICC has not made the fixtures official as of now.
India clinch the T20I series against New Zealand
The co-hosts of the T20 WC, India, have demolished the visitors in a five-match T20I series, taking a winning 3-0 advantage. Chasing a modest target of 154, the Men in Blue chased down the target in just 10 overs, thanks to a breathtaking hitting from Abhishek Sharma, who scored 68 off just 20 balls.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will look to carry the winning momentum forward ahead of the T20 World Cup.
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