India Could Play Warm-Up Match Against India a Before T20 World Cup 2026; Riyan Parag Set To Return
India will likely play a warm-up game before the T20 World Cup 2026. According to the Times of India (TOI), arrangements are made to help India test their resources, with the contest set to be against South Africa.
There’s also a possibility of management calling ‘A’ team players for an intra-squad match, with the venue being Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The Indian side will assemble on February 2 to start their preparations in Mumbai.
Currently, they are involved in a T20I series against New Zealand, which serves as a final preparation for the marquee tournament. However, the Men in Blue are missing two key players, Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar, due to injuries.
Tilak underwent a successful testicular torsion surgery and has been recovering well, while Sundar sustained a side strain in the opening ODI against New Zealand. Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi have replaced them in the T20I series, with the former named only for the initial three matches.
India ask CoE to prepare Riyan Parag for T20 World Cup 2026
Meanwhile, the same report revealed that India have asked the Centre of Excellence (CoE) to prepare Riyan Parag, who is currently nursing a shoulder injury. A BCCI source told TOI that Sundar’s recovery period has been taking longer than expected, and the team wants his backup ready if the need arises.
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Parag is slated to play two simulation matches on January 28 and 30 before clearance from CoE on January 31. He will report in Mumbai on February 2 and might play the warm-up fixture.
In Sundar’s absence, he remains a like-for-like replacement option, someone who can contribute with both bat and ball. Parag’s last outing for India came in October 2024.
India will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They will later face Namibia, Pakistan, and Netherlands in the group stage.
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