The warm-up fixtures will be held between February 2 and February 6 across seven venues in India, serving as final preparations for teams ahead of the main event. India will play one official warm-up match, facing South Africa on February 4 at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. The remaining two warm-up fixtures involving Indian players will be played by the India A side.
Tilak Varma’s inclusion in the India A squad has drawn attention, as the left-handed batter is returning from an injury sustained during the Vijay Hazare Trophy while representing Hyderabad. The upcoming matches are expected to be a key fitness test for Varma, who is likely to get at least one outing during the warm-up phase.
The India A team will be led by Ayush Badoni and includes a mix of emerging batters, all-rounders, and frontline bowlers. The squad features Ayush Badoni (captain), Naman Dhir, Ashutosh Sharma, Priyansh Arya, N Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Manav Suthar, Ashok Sharma, Urvil Patel (wicketkeeper), Gurjapneet Singh, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed and Mayank Yadav.
The warm-up schedule begins on February 2 with Afghanistan taking on Scotland at Ground-1 of the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. On the same day, India A will face the United States at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, while Canada and Italy will meet in Chennai. Several top teams, including Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies, will play only one warm-up match each. England will not participate in the warm-up fixtures.
The T20 World Cup itself will begin on February 7 in Colombo, with the opening match between the Netherlands and Pakistan. India will start their campaign against the USA in Mumbai on the same day. The final is scheduled for March 8, with the venue contingent on Pakistan’s progression to the title match.
Fans will be able to watch video highlights of all warm-up matches on the ICC’s digital platforms. Live streaming of India’s warm-up match against South Africa will be available on Star Sports and Jio Hotstar.
