India Vs South Africa Highlights, ICC T20 World Cup Warm-Up Match: Men In Blue Outbat Proteas For 30-Run Win

Good evening and welcome, Indian cricket afficionados. We are building up to the start of the Men In Blue and South Africa's only warm-up game before the T20 World Cup proper starts. Stay with us for toss, team news and live updates.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, David Miller

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav

The match is scheduled to start at 7pm IST, with the toss at 6:30pm IST. The India vs South Africa, ICC T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up game will be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. It will be telecast on the Star Sports Network TV channels in the country.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav calls the coin toss correctly and elects to bat first against South Africa. He says there is the likelihood of dew later on, and hence wanted his bowlers to face that test in the practice match. Aiden Markram says he was happy to bowl first, so win-win for both teams.

Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for India tonight, captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed at the toss. It would be interesting to see whether Sanju Samson gets a chance to bat and how India shape their playing XI, come the tournament proper.

Indian fans are now used to the familiar sight of unfettered big-hitting from the batters, starting from the openers. Ishan Kishan does just that, yet again, as he dispatches Lungi Ngidi to two massive sixes over deep midwicket and deep square leg. That gets the crowd going, not that they needed a second invite.

IND: 14/0 (1)

What an exhibition from Ishan Kishan! The southpaw has warmed up all right, smacking seven sixes to speed to his half century off 20 balls. For once, Abhishek Sharma is the relative second fiddle as he he has reached 23 off 14 balls. Kishan is brought back after the fifty, in the interest of giving other batters time in the middle. In comes Tilak Varma.

IND: 80/1 (5.4)

Abhishek Sharma uncharacteristically only gets to 24 off 18 balls, and is retired out at that juncture. That brings captain Suryakumar Yadav into the middle and he immediately takes on the short-pitched challenge presented by Anrich Nortje. Tilak, meanwhile, makes merry, almost as if he was never injured.

IND: 135/2 (10)

Marco Jansen yorks out the charging Tilak Varma, but the southpaw has done his job by then with a 19-ball 45. Suryakumar hits a 16-ball 30 before holing out to deep midwicket off Kwena Maphaka. Axar Patel and Rinku Singh now in the middle, as India's objective of giving all their batters a hit nears completion.

IND: 176/4 (14)

Rinku Singh is not able to get going and eventually departs for a sluggish 13-ball 16. Hardik Pandya then walks in and begins hitting boundaries for fun, just like he has been doing recently. Axar Patel giving him company.

IND: 211/5 (18)

Hardik Pandya smashes a 10-ball 30 at the back end to propel India to a massive 240-run total. These displays of dazzling hitting are becoming increasingly commonplace from India and they would hope that this continues in the tournament proper as well. For now, it's over to the bowlers.

IND: 240/5 (20)

Arshdeep Singh bowls a splendid first over, getting rid of George Linde for a four-ball duck. But Proteas skipper Aiden Markram launches into Hardik Pandya next over, cracking three sixes in a row off him. Ryan Rickelton is also off to a swift start.

IND: 32/1 (3)

Aiden Markram retires out after hitting a 19-ball 38, and Ryan Rickelton (44 not out off 20) continues to go strong. Barring Arshdeep Singh, the mainline bowlers have been taken on a leather hunt and India have turned to part-timers like Tilak Varma.

SA: 96/3 (9)

Varun Chakaravarthy comes into the attack and makes the difference straight away, having Ryan Rickelton (44 off 21) miscue a slog off a wide, flighted delivery to 'keeper Ishan Kishan. Axar Patel then draws an edge from David Miller, and Kishan does really well to hold on again. India swing the momentum entirely their way.

SA: 129/5 (14)

Marco Jansen is having fun out there! Jason Smith's dismissal brings the tall South Africa seamer to the crease and he is hitting the big ones quite cleanly. The target is beyond the Proteas' reach now but Jansen is making sure he opens his arms with bat too, before the showpiece begins formally.

SA: 180/6 (18)

Tristan Stubbs (45 not out off 21) gets into the act late, bludgeoning Shivam Dube for three straight sixes in the 20th over to end on a high. South Africa get some much-needed big hits in the death overs, finishing with 210 for seven. India win by 30 runs, and use nine bowlers to round out their preparations.

SA: 210/7 (20)

Both India and South Africa had only one warm-up game scheduled. While India A play another match, against Namibia on Feb 6, the Suryakumar Yadav-led senior team now takes the field against the United States for their T20 World Cup campaign opener at the Wankhede Stadium on Feb 7. South Africa, meanwhile, meet Canada in Ahmedabad on Feb 9.