The countdown for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is finally over. From today onwards (February 2), the warm-up fixtures are set to take place, with Afghanistan taking on Scotland in the opening game. In the evening, however, India ‘A’ will be in action. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t officially announced the India ‘A’ squad, the 15-member team features all the IPL budding stars, who will help other T20 World Cup 2026 participants prepare for the mega ICC event.
Tilak Varma returns; to play under Ayush Badoni
Well, the BCCI has the India ‘A’ squad revealed on its website. The second-string team will face the USA on Monday and Namibia on February 6. In the India A vs USA match page, the India A squad features names like Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi, while the team is led by Ayush Badoni. However, there’s no Washington Sundar, as he still takes some time to recover.
The 15-man team is swamped with talents. First let’s talk about Tilak, who missed the entire India vs New Zealand series due to abdominal surgery. However, it is delightful news since he will play as the first-choice No. 3 batter at the T20 World Cup. He needs game time before the group stage and these matches will certainly provide Tilak that. He might feature in India’s only warmup game against South Africa on February 4 as well.
Tilak successfully passed return to play (RTP) fitness tests at the BCCI CoE alongside the likes of Riyan Parag and Mayank Yadav. Parag injured his right shoulder and missed the last two months of action. However, he uploaded some videos of a match simulation at the BCCI CoE, where the Rajasthan Royals (RR) star looked in pristine touch. Mayank Yadav, who hasn’t had the rub of green with him, is back as well. A superb news for Indian cricket, as he remains one of the fastest bowlers in the country.
IPL stars fill India ‘A’ side
Some huge names are set to miss the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals on February 6 since they are part of the India ‘A’ team. IPL fans would know these players. The batting group sees Ayush Badoni lead the side. The Delhi state team’s captain recently received his maiden India call-up when he came in as Washington Sundar’s replacement in the New Zealand ODIs. Naman Dhir, Ashutosh Sharma, Priyansh Arya, Urvil Patel, Parag, Tilak and Jagadeesan form a strong batting group.
The spin duty is spearheaded by Ravi Bishnoi, who made his comeback in the recent T20Is against Ravi Bishnoi. Alongside him, there are two spin-bowling all-rounders in Manav Suthar and Vipraj Nigam. The pace combination includes CSK’s Gurjapneet Singh and Khaleel Ahmed. The addition of two 150+ kmph pacers in Mayank Yadav and Ashok Sharma is interesting as well, as BCCI eyes nurturing them for the big stage. In all capacity, this team can beat the T20 World Cup 2026 associate nations. However, it would be worth watching who puts their hand up and perform.
India ‘A’ squad for T20 World Cup 2026 warm-ups
Ayush Badoni (c), Naman Dhir, Ashutosh Sharma, Priyansh Arya, N Jagadeesan (wk), Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Manav Suthar, Ashok Sharma, Urvil Patel (wk), Gurjapneet Singh, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed, Mayank Yadav
The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will host the India ‘A’ vs USA match as well as Team India’s warmup fixture against South Africa. The BCCI CoE will host the second India ‘A’ game, which will be against Namibia.
ICC T20 World Cup warm-up schedule
| Date | Teams | Venue | Local Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2 | Afghanistan vs Scotland | Bengaluru | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 2 | India A vs USA | Navi Mumbai | 5:00 PM |
| Feb 2 | Canada vs Italy | Chennai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 3 | Sri Lanka A vs Oman | Colombo | 1:00 PM |
| Feb 3 | Netherlands vs Zimbabwe | Colombo | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 3 | Nepal vs UAE | Chennai | 5:00 PM |
| Feb 4 | Namibia vs Scotland | Bengaluru | 1:00 PM |
| Feb 4 | Afghanistan vs West Indies | Bengaluru | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 4 | Ireland vs Pakistan | Colombo | 5:00 PM |
| Feb 4 | India vs South Africa | Navi Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 5 | Oman vs Zimbabwe | Colombo | 1:00 PM |
| Feb 5 | Canada vs Nepal | Chennai | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 5 | New Zealand vs USA | Navi Mumbai | 5:00 PM |
| Feb 6 | Italy vs UAE | Chennai | 3:00 PM |
| Feb 6 | India A vs Namibia | Bengaluru | 5:00 PM |
