Afghanistan vs West Indies, 8th Match Warm-Up – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Warm-up Matches 2026 This warm-up clash on February 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM IST (local time) in BCCI Centre of Excellence 1, Bengaluru, gives both teams a final tune-up before the T20 World Cup kicks off.
The BCCI Centre of Excellence pitch in Bengaluru typically favors batsmen in T20 games, with short boundaries encouraging big scores much like nearby Chinnaswamy. Expect some early seam help for pacers, but spinners could find turn later as the surface dries.
Clear skies are forecast for Bengaluru on match day, with temperatures around 29°C and lows of 15°C, low humidity at 60%, and light winds of 5 km/h. No rain interruptions expected, setting up a full game.
Both sides head into the T20 World Cup needing rhythm after a recent three-match T20I series in UAE where Afghanistan dominated with wins by 13 runs, 39 runs, and 38 runs. This warm-up lets them test combinations on Indian soil ahead of the main event starting February 7.
Afghanistan arrives with momentum, posting 189/4 and 181/3 in recent outings while their spinners like Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, and Noor Ahmad choked West Indies chases. West Indies struggled in those losses but showed fight in a 151/7 total earlier.
Rashid Khan’s leadership and spin trio could exploit any turn, while West Indies’ batting firepower like Shimron Hetmyer needs to fire after recent flops. Afghanistan’s returnees Gulbadin Naib and Naveen-ul-Haq add experience, and the venue’s batting bias might suit explosive openers.
Head-to-Head
West Indies lead the overall record with 10 wins to Afghanistan’s 3 across 13 matches. In the last five T20Is from the UAE series, Afghanistan swept 3-0, with West Indies winning two prior encounters.
NEP vs UAE Match Details
- Match: Warm-up Match
- Teams: Nepal vs United Arab Emirates, 6th Match
- Date: 03 Feb 2026
- Time: 4:30 PM
- Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium
T20 World 2026 Live Streaming Info
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7, 2026, and wraps up with the final on March 8, 2026. Hosted across India and Sri Lanka with 20 teams, it spans about a month—group stages from early February, Super 8s mid-month, semis late February/early March, and the final in Colombo or Mumbai.
- In India, tune into Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2) or stream on Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.
- Pakistan viewers can watch on PTV Sports, A Sports, or Ten Sports, with streaming available on Tapmad and Tamasha.
- For Sri Lanka, options include SLRC, Channel Eye, and Siyatha TV on TV, plus Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube and Dialog ViU online.
- UK fans have Sky Sports Cricket, TNT Sports 1, and talkSPORT on television, alongside Sky Go, Discovery+, and NOW TV for streaming.
- In South Africa, SuperSport covers it on TV and via their app.
- Australia might check Fox Sports for TV and Kayo Sports for live streams.
- USA and Canada: Willow TV on TV, Sling TV or Willow HD app for streaming.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ on TV and Sky Go app.
- Bangladesh: Gazi TV (GTV) and Rabith BD app.
- Afghanistan: RTA Sport and Ariana TV.
Rest of the world: ICC.tv for free streaming where no local rights holder exists. Subscriptions often apply, and VPNs can assist with geo-blocks where permitted.
How to Watch the Match for Free:
Catch every boundary without paying via these official free options, perfect for fans in Pakistan and beyond.
Pakistan: PTV Sports broadcasts all matches live for free on TV via terrestrial, cable, and satellite—no subscription needed.
Live Streaming Info:
The 8th T20 will be live on TNT Cricket.
Live Score Info:
ICC T20 World Cup 2026: All matches on ESPN and Cricbuzz have live scores.
Afghanistan Probable XI: Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Karim Janat.
Pakistan Probable XI: Brandon King (c), Johnson Charles (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Gudakesh Motie, Justin Greaves, Matthew Forde, Khary Pierre, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales.
Afghanistan Analysis
Afghanistan’s strength lies in their world-class spin attack and middle-order resilience, though top-order consistency remains a weakness against pace. Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran have been standouts recently, with the squad boosted by Naib and Naveen.
West Indies Analysis
West Indies boast power-hitters like Hetmyer and Brandon King, but their bowling depth faltered lately against spin, exposing a weakness in chases. Recent series losses highlight batting collapses, though pacers Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales offer hope.
Match Prediction
Afghanistan holds the edge with superior recent form, spin dominance, and adaptation to subcontinent conditions, likely winning a high-scoring thriller by 15-20 runs if they bat first on this batsman-friendly track.