India crush South Africa with a statement win in T20 World Cup warmup match

India beat South Africa in warm-up clash [Source: @BCCI/X.com]

India delivered a dominating performance to register a 30-run victory over South Africa in their warm-up match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which took place at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. 

Batting first, India scored a massive total and put the Proteas under constant pressure. South Africa launched an aggressive attack, but wickets and disciplined bowling helped India win the match.

Ishan Kishan proves his mettle with a blazing start

After opting to bat first, India began the first inning at a furious pace. Ishan Kishan, promoted as an opener, looked in complete control and attacked from ball one. 

He smashed 53 off just 20 balls before retiring out. Abhishek Sharma supported him well and added 24 from 18 balls. India raced to 83 runs inside the powerplay and never slowed down.

Tilak Varma continued the assault in the middle overs. He played with confidence and timing, scoring 45 off 19 balls. Suryakumar Yadav also looked sharp. 

The Indian captain struck 30 from 16 deliveries and kept the pressure on the bowlers. South Africa struggled to find answers as their plans failed under constant attack. 

India put a mammoth total after Hardik, Axar’s fireworks

Axar Patel played a smart innings at the back end. He stayed unbeaten on 35 off 23 balls and rotated the strike well. Rinku Singh chipped in with a quick 16, while Hardik Pandya provided the final burst. 

Hardik smashed 30 from just 10 balls, sending the ball regularly into the stands. South Africa’s bowlers had a tough outing. Anrich Nortje conceded 57 runs in three overs, while Rabada also went for plenty. 

Marco Jansen and Kwena Maphaka picked up one wicket each but could not control the scoring.

India ended with 240/6 after 20 overs. It was a statement start and a reminder of their batting strength before the T20 World Cup 2026.

South Africa start strong before losing momentum

While chasing a massive target, South Africa showed their intent right from the start but could not maintain the momentum throughout. Aiden Markram set the tone with a quick 38 from 19 balls. He attacked the seamers and looked in good touch before retiring out. 

Ryan Rickelton kept the tempo high. The left-hander smashed 44 from 21 balls and punished anything short or wide. South Africa reached 66 in the powerplay and stayed in the game.

However, wickets at key moments hurt them. George Linde fell early. Dewald Brevis and David Miller also failed to convert their starts. 

Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel bowled tight overs and slowed the scoring. India managed to apply pressure despite the flat pitch.

Late charge falls short as India seal comfortable win

Jason Smith tried to rebuild the innings. He scored 35 from 23 balls and found boundaries when needed. Tristan Stubbs then launched a late counterattack. He remained unbeaten on 45 off 21 balls and struck some clean sixes. 

Marco Jansen added useful runs as well. He hit 31 from 16 deliveries and kept South Africa alive till the final overs. But the required rate stayed high.

India, meanwhile, picked up wickets at the right time. Abhishek Sharma was impressive with the ball and took two wickets. Arshdeep Singh and Varun also chipped in.

South Africa finished on 210/7 after 20 overs. It was a spirited effort, but the early damage and the big target proved too much.