The warm up fixtures start rolling from February 2 onwards. Sixteen matches happen across four different cities before the main tournament. Teams use these practice games to fix last-minute problems quietly.
Bengaluru, Navi Mumbai, Chennai, and Colombo host all these matches. BCCI Centre of Excellence, DY Patil Stadium, and MA Chidambaram Stadium are Indian venues. Three grounds in Colombo handle Sri Lankan matches during this period.
The T20 World Cup 2026 warm up schedule runs until February 6. After that, the real tournament action begins on February 7. IND opens their campaign against the USA that very day excitingly.
India’s Big Match Against Proteas
Defending champions play just one match surprisingly. They face South Africa on February 4 at DY Patil Stadium. The match starts at 7 pm in Navi Mumbai for this showdown.
This becomes the most high-profile fixture among all warm up games. Both teams will field their strongest playing elevens probably. Star players battling each other builds massive hype before the T20 World Cup starts.
Jio Hotstar streams the match live online. Star Sports broadcasts it on television channels across the country. The 2026 schedule makers knew this fixture would grab eyeballs.
India A Gets Two Matches
India A faces the USA on February 2 at DY Patil Stadium first. The match begins at 5 pm sharp for action. Tilak Varma plays this game to prove his fitness levels.
He’s recovering from surgery after a January injury in the Ranji Trophy. Getting match practice before joining the senior squad matters hugely. His performance here decides his T20 World Cup 2026 availability completely.
India A schedule says they will play Namibia on February 6 in Bengaluru next. BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 hosts this second game. These matches help fringe players showcase their skills under pressure.
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb | Afghanistan vs Scotland | BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1, Bengaluru | 3:00 pm |
| USA vs India ‘A’ | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | 5:00 pm | |
| Canada vs Italy | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:00 pm | |
| 3 Feb | Oman vs Sri Lanka ‘A’ | Colombo Cricket Club Ground, Colombo | 1:00 pm |
| Netherlands vs Zimbabwe | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 3:00 pm | |
| Nepal vs UAE | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 5:00 pm | |
| 4 Feb | Scotland vs Namibia | BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2, Bengaluru | 1:00 pm |
| Afghanistan vs West Indies | BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1, Bengaluru | 3:00 pm | |
| Pakistan vs Ireland | SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo | 5:00 pm | |
| India vs South Africa | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | 7:00 pm | |
| 5 Feb | Zimbabwe vs Oman | Colombo Cricket Club Ground, Colombo | 11:00 am |
| Nepal vs Canada | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 1:00 pm | |
| Australia vs Netherlands | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | 5:00 pm | |
| New Zealand vs USA | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | 7:00 pm | |
| 6 Feb | Italy vs UAE | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 3:00 pm |
| India ‘A’ vs Namibia | BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1, Bengaluru | 5:00 pm |
Pakistan Boycott Creates Drama
Pakistan plays Ireland on February 4, 2026 in Colombo at 5 pm. That’s their only match before the tournament begins properly. They’ve already boycotted the IND vs PAK group match.
The Pakistani government approved tournament participation but with strange conditions attached. The team won’t field against India as a protest apparently. ICC faces massive headaches sorting this political mess out for the T20 World Cup.
England and Sri Lanka’s main teams skip warm up games entirely. The schedule shows their absence clearly throughout these fixtures.
