India's build-up to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 has officially gathered pace with the confirmation of the warm-up match schedule and broadcast details.
A total of 16 practice games will be played between February 2 and February 6, giving teams a final chance to fine-tune combinations before the tournament begins on February 7.
The warm-up fixtures will be spread across four cities in the two co-host nations, India and Sri Lanka. In India, matches will be staged at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and the iconic M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Sri Lanka's capital Colombo will also play a key role, with games scheduled at the SSC Cricket Ground, R. Premadasa Stadium, and the Colombo Cricket Club Ground.
For Indian fans, the focus will firmly be on Navi Mumbai and Bengaluru, where both the senior India side and India A will be in action. These matches will provide the team management with a final opportunity to assess form, experiment with combinations, and manage workloads ahead of the main event.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led senior India team will play one warm-up fixture, facing South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium on February 4 in a night game scheduled to begin at 7pm. This match is expected to be a high-intensity rehearsal before India open their World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7.
Alongside the senior side, an India A team, captained by Ayush Badoni, will feature in two warm-up matches. One of the key storylines is the return of Tilak Varma, who is set to play the first India A warm-up as he makes his comeback following testicular surgery after sustaining an injury during a Ranji Trophy match in January. After that game, Tilak will link up with the senior squad in Navi Mumbai.
India A will begin their warm-up campaign against the USA on February 2 at the DY Patil Stadium in a 5pm fixture. Their second and final warm-up match will be against Namibia on February 6 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Ground 1, in Bengaluru, also starting at 5pm.
India & India A Warm-Up Fixtures
- USA vs India A - DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai (February 2, 5pm)
- India vs South Africa - DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai (February 4, 7pm)
- India A vs Namibia - BCCI Centre of Excellence, Ground 1, Bengaluru (February 6, 5pm)
With competitive opposition and varied conditions on offer, these warm-up games are set to play a crucial role in shaping India's T20 World Cup campaign. The matches will be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website.
