India vs South Africa Warm Up Match HIGHLIGHTS, T20I WC 2026: The road to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 began with defending champions India beating South Africa by 30 runs in a high-stakes warm-up fixture. Playing at the iconic DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, both sides viewed this encounter as the ultimate dress rehearsal to fine-tune their tactical combinations.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Warm-up Matches, 2026
India
240/6 (20.0)
South Africa
210/7 (20.0)
Match Ended ( Day – Match 10 )
India beat South Africa by 30 runs
For India, led by the explosive Suryakumar Yadav, the focus was on the wicketkeeper conundrum between Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson. The Men in Blue trusted Kishan over Samson with the bat and the Jharkhand responsed with a terrific half-century, top-scoring as India posted 240/6 in 20 overs.
The Proteas, under Aiden Markram, did not have a good day on the field as they dropped catches and leaked runs. In response, they could only make 210/7 with Tristan Stubbs unbeaten on 45 off 21 and Ryan Rickleton’s 44 off 21.
As this is a warm-up fixture, teams were expected to utilise their full 15-member squads, allowing for multiple experimental bowling changes and retired-out batting rotations which is what happened with both Kishan and Abhishek retiring out, allowing others to have a hit and Abhishek picking up 2 wickets for 32 runs in his 3 overs.
The Samson vs Kishan debate settled?
The most talked-about narrative heading into this clash was India’s opening slot. While Abhishek Sharma had cemented his place with aggressive starts, the second opener’s position was a toss-up. Sanju Samson had a horror New Zealand series heading into the World Cup and ultimately could not get chance to bat.
On the other hand, Ishan Kishan made good use of the chance again and might well have sealed a place in the starting XI for himself for the India vs USA T20 World Cup fixture.
Match Details & Live Updates:
Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
Toss Time: 6:30 PM IST (India opt to bat)
Match Start: 7:00 PM IST
Match Result: India beat South Africa by 30 runs
India vs South Africa squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs.
Here is our coverage recap of IND vs SA T20 World Cup warm-up
IND vs SA, T20 World Cup warm-up match: Curtains down!
That brings the curtain down on our coverage of this warm-up clash between India and South Africa. Thanks a lot for riding along with us. Plenty more sports stories coming your way, so keep an eye on this space for all the updates. For now, it’s goodbye from us. See you again very soon.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: What a win!
India wrapped up a commanding 30-run win after piling on a daunting 240, a target that always felt a bridge too far for South Africa. The visitors showed intent early Aiden Markram set the tone before opting to retire out, while Ryan Rickelton and Jason Smith counter-punched with lively cameos but none were able to turn their starts into something match-defining.
Once the spinners came on, the chase began to unravel. India tightened the screws through the middle overs, mixing up pace, flight and angles to steadily choke the scoring.
The asking rate kept climbing, and with wickets falling at regular intervals, South Africa were left chasing shadows. Tristan Stubbs battled on right till the end, but with the pressure unrelenting and the target looming large, the gap was never truly bridged as India sealed a clinical, deserved victory.
That's it, that's the game. India beat South Africa by 30 runs.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: Stubbs smasing 3 sixes in a row in the 20th over
Dube's leaked runs in the last over. He concedes three sixes in the last over.
South Africa need 51 runs in 6 balls
South Africa need 51 runs in 6 balls despite a six off the last ball of the 19th over.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: BOWLED HIM! Second wicket for Abhishek
18.4, Abhishek Sharma to Marco Jansen, OUT! Cleaned up! Abhishek darts it in quicker and flatter on middle, and Jansen lines up a big slog across the line. The bat swings, the ball skids through and the stumps are in a mess. No answer to that one as Jansen’s aggressive stay comes to an end. SA- 183/7 in 18.4 overs.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: The game's done & dusted by the way!
SA need 61 runs in 12 balls. India have made use of this game, experimenting with their bowling options and giving their batters a hit.
Arshdeep Singh to Stubbs, FOUR! Gift wrapped. Slips out as a full toss on the pads and Stubbs just helps it on its way, glancing it fine with minimal effort. Too easy, and it races away to the boundary.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: SIX, FOUR, SIX, FOUR! Jansen on fire vs Dube
Marco Jansen helps South Africa fetch 22 runs off Shivam Dube's over. The batter smashed two sixes and two boundaries in that over. Two singles in between. South Africa- 164/6 after 16 overs. Marco Jansen- 26* off 8, Tristan Stubbs- 6* off 7.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: WICKET!! Even Abhishek Sharma has a wicket
Abhishek Sharma to Jason Smith, OUT! Clever stuff from Abhishek. He tosses it up, inviting Smith to take him on, and the batter obliges by charging down the track. But the extra air does the trick, the shot checks, the ball flies off the leading edge and loops towards cover. Suryakumar Yadav judges it neatly and pouches it. Smith’s handy knock comes to an end.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: Back-to-back boundaries
Abhishek Sharma to Jason Smith, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries. Smith hangs back to a slightly shorter length and goes through with a flat-batted hit, drilling it straight back over the bowler’s head. Plenty of power on show there.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: A much-needed boundary!
Abhishek Sharma to Jason Smith, FOUR! That’s right in the slot and punished. Smith steps away to open up the face, clears the front leg and drives it firmly straight back past the bowler. One bounce and it races over the ropes.
India has firmly seized control of this warm-up encounter as the required run rate climbs toward 18.6 runs per over. After a frantic start by Aiden Markram, India’s spinners have systematically sucked the life out of the South African chase.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: Who are the two batters out in the middle?
It's Stubbs and Smith who are out in the middle for South Africa at this moment.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: Varun Chakravarthy strikes for IND
Varun Chakaravarthy to Rickelton, OUT! Instant impact. Varun tosses it up first ball, Rickelton goes hard for the slog sweep, but the flight does him in. The top edge balloons straight up and Ishan Kishan camps under it to take a straightforward catch. A sharp end to Rickelton’s fluent knock. SA- 96/4 in 9.1 overs. Rickelton out for 44 off 21.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: 7.2 W Shivam Dube to Brevis, OUT
Dube gets it spot on. He takes the pace off and pulls the length back outside off, drawing Brevis into a reach. The flat-batted swipe never gets going, coming off the bottom of the bat and floating gently towards long-off. Tilak Varma barely has to move to complete the catch. A smart, timely breakthrough. SA- 81/3 in 7.2 overs after Makram getting retired out for 38 off 19.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: SA- 66/1 after 6 overs
That's the end of poweplay. On any other day, that would have been a brilliant start. It's a good start here as well but still below the asking rate as they are chasing 241 to win this warm-up match.
The high-octane battle took a worrying turn when a sharp delivery from Hardik Pandya struck Markram as he shuffled across the crease. The Proteas skipper looked in considerable pain, requiring a visit from the physio. With the World Cup opener just days away, both camps are watching his movement closely. However, the good news is that since then Markram has gotten up and looked as good as earlier.
IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup warm-up match: A dozen coming off the 3rd over
South Africa- 32/1 after 3 overs. Aiden Markram- 27* off 12; Ryan Rickelton- 5* off 2. A six off the blade of Markram and a boundary from Rickelton's bat coming from that over.
Hardik Pandya to Markram, SIX! Three in a row! Hardik bangs it in short on off but there’s not enough bite and Markram is all over it. He swivels quickly and muscles the pull high over cow corner- clean, confident and right out of the screws. What a shot after having already smashed two sixes off the previous two balls.
IND vs SA Live Score, warm up match: WICKET!! What a first over for Arshdeep
Arshdeep Singh to Linde, OUT! The opening gamble backfires. Arshdeep gets it to nip back sharply on a good length, and Linde, already backing away, finds himself cramped for room. The bat comes through half-heartedly, the ball pops up off the splice and lobs towards mid-on. Hardik Pandya shuffles across and completes a safe catch. Linde departs without scoring.
SA- 1/1 after the 1st over.
India end their innings at 240/6 in 20 overs. Ishan Kishan top-scored with 53 off 20, Tilak Varma 45 off 19 and all the remaining batters chipped in with contributions.
Corbin Bosch to Hardik Pandya, OUT! That ends a blistering cameo. Bosch hits the deck hard outside off, and Hardik goes chasing with a flat-batted slash. All he gets is a thick edge that flies towards the deep, where Marco Jansen judges it nicely and takes the catch. Hardik departs after a fiery 30 off just 10 balls, having given the innings late momentum.
IND vs SA Live Score, warm up match: Corbin Bosch to Hardik Pandya, FOUR!
Short and angling across, Hardik goes for the pull but only manages a top-edge. Jason Smith gets under it running across, but can’t hold on, and the ball spills away to the boundary. Big let-off this late in the innings.
IND vs SA Live Score, warm up match: Rabada to Hardik Pandya, FOUR!
The swagger is back on display. Full around off, Hardik clears the front leg in a flash and lifts it uppishly, threading it past the right of mid-off to collect yet another boundary. Confident, clean hitting.
18.1, Rabada to Hardik Pandya, SIX! That’s pure class. Hardik shuffles across, Rabada goes full with him, and all it takes is a crisp roll of the wrists, the bottom hand doing the damage as it rockets flat over deep backward square. Effortless power on show.
IND vs SA Live Score, warm up match: 17.2 W Nortje to Rinku Singh, OUT!
Finally a moment of relief for Nortje. After being taken apart earlier, he lands it full on off, tempting Rinku to go straight down the ground. The front leg comes out, the swing follows, but it’s off the toe-end and hangs in the air. Stubbs tracks it calmly at long-on, bends low and completes a tidy catch. Rinku’s cameo ends here.
IND vs SA Live Score, warm up match: India has officially shifted from "Match Simulation" to "Match Decimation"
With 200 runs on the board after just 16 overs, the Proteas' bowling attack is looking ragged. Rinku Singh has started exactly where he left off last season, smashing Kagiso Rabada for a 94-metre six over long-on to bring up the double-century milestone for the team. Alongside him, Axar Patel is playing the perfect foil, using his long levers to target the arc between mid-wicket and long-on.
As the innings enters the final four overs, the focus shifts from flair to cold-blooded execution. Rinku Singh is currently in "finisher mode," with instructions to treat every ball like a last-over situation. South Africa has brought back Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi to execute wide-line yorkers. This isn't just about runs anymore; it’s a match-simulation drill. India wants to see if Rinku can find the boundary when the bowling is disciplined and the field is pushed back, while South Africa is testing whether their pacers can maintain composure after being taken for over 150 runs in the first 12 overs.
IND vs SA Live Score, warm up match: India uses warm-up rules to the max
True to the "experimental" nature of this fixture, India is rotating its lineup mid-innings. Both Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma (24 off 18) retired early to allow the middle order significant time in the middle. Axar Patel and Rinku Singh are currently at the crease, looking to provide a grand finish. Notably, there are no zing bails being used tonight, a small detail that hasn't dampened the high-octane atmosphere in Navi Mumbai.