Pakistan have locked in their only warm-up match ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, and it comes against a familiar opponent.
The Green Shirts will take on Ireland in Colombo on February 4, in what will be Pakistan’s lone practice fixture before the tournament officially gets underway on February 7.
The match will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, which will also serve as Pakistan’s early base during the World Cup.
More importantly, the same venue will host two of Pakistan’s group-stage matches:
- Pakistan vs Netherlands – February 7
- Pakistan vs USA – February 10
So, this warm-up is not just a “hit-and-giggle” friendly. It is a proper opportunity to settle into Sri Lankan conditions, get used to the pitch behaviour, and fine-tune combinations before the points table pressure kicks in.
Only One Warm-Up?
Pakistan are not the only team keeping their warm-up schedule short. In fact, India will also play just one warm-up match, facing South Africa on February 4 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Meanwhile, an India A side will also feature in the warm-up schedule. They will play the USA in Navi Mumbai and later face Namibia in Bengaluru on February 6, just a day before the tournament begins.
Big Teams Skipping Warm-Ups Completely
Here is where it gets interesting.
Several top-ranked sides have decided to opt out of warm-up matches altogether, including:
- Australia
- England
- New Zealand
Australia’s final competitive cricket before the World Cup will be their three-match T20I series against Pakistan, which begins today.
England, meanwhile, are currently involved in an ODI series in Sri Lanka, while New Zealand are in India playing white-ball cricket.
They have already completed a three-match ODI series and are now in the middle of a five-match T20I series, which effectively serves as their World Cup rehearsal.
Tournament timeline: India and Sri Lanka set to host
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
With such a tight schedule, it is clear teams want to hit the ground running from match one. For Pakistan, that makes the Ireland warm-up even more valuable, especially with two early group matches at the same ground.
T20 World Cup 2026 Warm-Up Fixtures
February 2
- Afghanistan vs Scotland – Bengaluru – 3 PM
- India A vs USA – Navi Mumbai – 5 PM
- Canada vs Italy – Chennai – 7 PM
February 3
- Sri Lanka A vs Oman – Colombo – 1 PM
- Netherlands vs Zimbabwe – Colombo – 3 PM
- Nepal vs UAE – Chennai – 5 PM
February 4
- Namibia vs Scotland – Bengaluru – 1 PM
- Afghanistan vs West Indies – Bengaluru – 3 PM
- Ireland vs Pakistan – Colombo – 5 PM
- India vs South Africa – Navi Mumbai – 7 PM
February 5
- Oman vs Zimbabwe – Colombo – 1 PM
- Canada vs Nepal – Chennai – 3 PM
- New Zealand vs USA – Navi Mumbai – 5 PM
February 6
- Italy vs UAE – Chennai – 3 PM
- India A vs Namibia – Bengaluru – 5 PM
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