India will face South Africa in a warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, with the fixture scheduled for February 4 at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, the defending champions will use this match to fine-tune their preparations before the 20-team tournament begins on February 7 with the opener between Pakistan and the Netherlands.
The clash holds added significance as India and South Africa previously met in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, where Rohit Sharma’s team emerged victorious.
Warm-Up Matches Overview
Apart from India’s warm-up, several other teams have scheduled practice matches:
- Pakistan, in India’s group, will play Ireland on February 4 in Colombo.
- Scotland, who replaced Bangladesh at the last minute due to security concerns, will play two warm-up fixtures: Afghanistan on February 2 and Namibia on February 4.
- England and Australia will not play warm-up matches but are preparing through bilateral series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The warm-up phase runs from February 2 to 6, featuring a total of 15 matches across multiple venues, including Bengaluru, Navi Mumbai, Chennai, and Colombo.
Full T20 World Cup Warm-Up Fixtures
February 2
- Afghanistan vs Scotland – Bengaluru – 3 PM
- India A vs USA – Navi Mumbai – 5 PM
- Canada vs Italy – Chennai – 7 PM
February 3
- Sri Lanka A vs Oman – Colombo – 1 PM
- Netherlands vs Zimbabwe – Colombo – 3 PM
- Nepal vs UAE – Chennai – 5 PM
February 4
- Namibia vs Scotland – Bengaluru – 1 PM
- Afghanistan vs West Indies – Bengaluru – 3 PM
- Ireland vs Pakistan – Colombo – 5 PM
- India vs South Africa – Navi Mumbai – 7 PM
February 5
- Oman vs Zimbabwe – Colombo – 1 PM
- Canada vs Nepal – Chennai – 3 PM
- New Zealand vs USA – Navi Mumbai – 5 PM
February 6
- Italy vs UAE – Chennai – 3 PM
- India A vs Namibia – Bengaluru – 5 PM
These warm-up matches will give teams a chance to experiment with line-ups, assess conditions, and finalize strategies ahead of the main tournament.