T20 World Cup 2026, Warm-up: Dominant India flex batting muscle to trump South Africa

India secured a dominant 30-run victory against South Africa in their only T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up fixture at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, extending their purple patch in the shortest format of the game ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which they will host alongside Sri Lanka.

It was another imperious flex of batting muscle, as they notched up 240 for 6 after opting to bat first. The plundering commenced as soon as the first over, with Ishan Kishan dispatching Lungi Ngidi over mid-on and fine leg for six before sending Kagiso Rabada over midwicket fence in the third over.

Abhishek Sharma was uncharacteristically quiet but eventually got going with a hat-trick of fours against Corbin Bosch. The real carnage, however, unfolded in the 29-run fifth over with Kishan volleying 6, 6, 4, 6 after Abhishek had started the over with a six. Kishan raced off 53 off just 20 balls, hitting seven sixes and two fours before retiring out.

Next, Tilak Varma hit his straps in no time, clobbering George Linde over long-on for a six and picking another boundary in the same over before launching Anrich Nortje for two consecutive sixes in the next over. He was cleaned up after a fluent 19-ball 45 by Marco Jansen while attempting to flick him on the leg-side, with the ball hitting his leg stump as he failed to make contact.

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav lacked fluency after getting off the mark with a trademark maximum over backward square. He picked two unconvincing fours off the inside edge before holing out in the deep off Kwena Maphaka. However, given his current form, he walked back with a 16-ball 30, despite not looking his usual self.

Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya provided the finishing touches even as Rinku Singh struggled for momentum in his 16 off 13. Axar struck two fours and sixes each in his unbeaten 23-ball 35, including a consecutive four and six off Rabada in the 15th over.

However, it was Pandya who stole the show, whacking Anrich Nortje over long-on for a one-handed six on the very first ball he faced to show his intentions. Pandya later flat-batted Bosch for a maximum over long-on before perishing on the next ball, but the best shot of the night came when he nonchalantly flicked Rabada over deep backward square for a maximum in a display of brute power and timing. His 30 off 10 ensured that India reached 240 despite a slowdown in the death, with overs 16 to 18 fetching only 16 runs.

In response, South Africa sent George Linde to open the innings alongside Aiden Markram. Although the experiment failed as Arshdeep Singh had him caught at mid-on in the opening over. Markram made merry in the powerplay, hitting three sixes in a row off Pandya, while Ryan Rickleton took a liking to Kuldeep Yadav, slog sweeping him for consecutive sixes just after the powerplay ended.  

Markram eventually retired out for 38 off 19 while Rickleton was undone by Varun Chakravarthy for 44 off 21 as Kishan grabbed a skier. In between, Shivam Dube had Dewald Brevis caught at long-off. When Axar sent back David Miller cheaply, with Kishan completing the reflex catch on the second attempt, South Africa were staring down the barrel at 100 for 5 in the 11th over.

Tristan Stubbs stabilised the innings briefly with a 37-run stand alongside Jason Smith, but Abhishek Sharma had Smith caught at cover for a 23-ball 35 after being hit for two consecutive fours.

Marco Jansen came out swinging, smacking Dube 6, 4, 6 in the 22-run 16th over before being cleaned up by Abhishek in the penultimate over for 31 off 16. Stubbs found his form in the final over, smashing Dube for three sixes in a row, but that could only mitigate the margin of loss as it was too late by then. Stubbs remained unbeaten on 45 off 21.

Brief Scores

India 240/6 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 53, Tilak Varma 45, Marco Jansen 1-18, Kwena Maphaka 1-19)

South Africa 210/7 in 20 overs (Tristan Stubbs 45*, Ryan Rickelton 44, Abhishek Sharma 2-32, Axar Patel 1-2)

Result: India won by 30 runs