The ICC has confirmed the schedule of T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up matches, which will be played from February 2 to February 6. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 It kicks off on February 7th, giving players one last chance to fine-tune their skills, combos and matchup awareness ahead of the marquee event.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Warm-up Matches: Format and team plans
Warm-up games are designed to help teams fine-tune their preparations in a low-pressure environment. Unlike official T20I matches, these fixtures allow more flexibility. All 15 members of the team are allowed to participate and no fixed playing XI is required to be announced at the time of the toss. This setup allows teams to freely rotate players, manage workloads and try multiple combinations without worrying about match results.
The approach for India will be slightly different. The senior men’s team is scheduled to play only one warm-up match, while India A will play the remaining matches. This strategy allows the management to provide valuable exposure to outside players while ensuring that key members of the first team remain fresh for the tournament opener.
With the World Cup starting a day after the warm-up window closes, these matches take on added importance. Teams will focus less on results and more on execution – be it settling opening pairs, experimenting with bowling options at the death or finding the right balance in the middle innings.
Locations and pitch conditions in India and Sri Lanka
The warm-up matches will be held in India and Sri Lanka, and the teams will be offered a variety of pitches and weather conditions as they would expect during the tournament.
The BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru is known for balanced surfaces with consistent bounce, making it ideal for both batsmen and fast bowlers to find rhythm.
Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium has traditionally allowed teams to test their middle order and slow-bowling combinations.
Navi Mumbai’s Dr DY Patil Sports Academy offers batting-friendly tracks and fast pitches that are perfect for sharpening power hitting and execution in the death.
Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026 – Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya included in squad for India warm-up games
In Sri Lanka, venues such as the R Premadasa Stadium and the Sinhalese Sports Club provide slower pitches and humid conditions to help teams adapt to tough environments.
T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up matches: Highlights
- February 2 – against Afghanistan Scotland 03:00 PM IST in Bengaluru
- February 2 – India A vs USA at 17:00 IST at Navi Mumbai
- February 2 – Canada vs Italy at Chennai at 19:00 IST
- February 3 – Sri Lanka A vs Oman at 1:00 PM IST in Colombo
- February 3 – Netherlands vs Zimbabwe at Colombo, 3pm IST
- February 3 – Nepal vs UAE at 17:00 IST at Chennai
- February 4 – Namibia vs Scotland at Bengaluru at 1:00 PM IST
- February 4 – Afghanistan vs West Indies at 3:00 PM IST in Bengaluru
- February 4 – Ireland vs Pakistan at 17:00 IST at Colombo
- February 4 – India vs South Africa at 19:00 IST at Navi Mumbai
- February 5 – Oman vs Zimbabwe at Colombo, 1:00 PM IST
- February 5 – Canada vs Nepal at 3:00 PM IST in Chennai
- February 5 – New Zealand vs USA at Navi Mumbai at 17:00 hrs IST
- February 6 – Italy vs UAE at Chennai at 3pm IST
- February 6 – India A VS Namibia at 5:00 PM in Bengaluru Ist
Also READ: Rashid Khan’s semi-final picks for T20 World Cup 2026 include a subtle dig at Pat Cummins.
