T20 World Cup 2026 Warm-up Schedule: Australia, New Zealand in Action as Final Preparations Begin

The countdown to the 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is nearly over, with the tournament set to begin on February 7. As teams put the finishing touches on their preparations, four warm-up matches will be played on February 5, featuring eight teams across four venues in India and Sri Lanka.

Among the Full Member nations, Australia, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe will be in action, while Associate teams such as Oman, Netherlands, Canada, Nepal, and the USA look to gain crucial match practice ahead of the main event.

Oman vs Zimbabwe – Colombo (1:00 PM IST)

The day begins at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where Oman will take on Zimbabwe. Weather remains a concern at the venue after rain washed out Thursday’s Pakistan vs Ireland warm-up without a ball being bowled.

Both sides enter the contest with confidence:

• Oman defeated Sri Lanka A in their previous warm-up
• Zimbabwe registered a convincing win over the Netherlands

With both teams relying heavily on disciplined bowling and sharp fielding, this encounter could offer a tightly contested start to the day.

Australia vs Netherlands – Colombo (5:00 PM IST)

Later in Colombo, Australia will face the Netherlands at the R Premadasa Stadium. The 2021 champions are expected to rotate their squad and test combinations, particularly in the middle order and bowling attack.

For the Netherlands, this is a valuable opportunity to test themselves against elite opposition ahead of their T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan on Saturday. Even a competitive showing would boost confidence for the Men in Orange.

Canada vs Nepal – Chennai (3:00 PM IST)

At the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Canada and Nepal will square off. Canada are coming off a disappointing loss to tournament newcomers Italy, while Nepal impressed in their previous outing by comfortably chasing down 146 against the UAE with seven wickets to spare.

This match offers both teams a chance to fine-tune their batting line-ups on a traditionally spin-friendly surface.

New Zealand vs USA – Navi Mumbai (7:00 PM IST)

The day concludes with New Zealand taking on the United States of America at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. This will be the Black Caps’ only warm-up match before the tournament.

New Zealand arrive after a 1–4 T20I series loss to India, and skipper Mitchell Santner will be keen to regain momentum. The USA, meanwhile, impressed in their previous warm-up by scoring 200 runs while chasing 239 against India A, showcasing their growing batting firepower.

Warm-up Matches Schedule – February 5

• Oman vs Zimbabwe – 1:00 PM IST
  Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
• Canada vs Nepal – 3:00 PM IST
  MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
• Australia vs Netherlands – 5:00 PM IST
  R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
• New Zealand vs USA – 7:00 PM IST
  DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai