Cuttack: Team India kick off preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup, as they play the first of 10 home games at the Barabati Stadium here on Tuesday.

The five-match series against South Africa will be followed by five T20Is versus New Zealand, before the 2026 T20 World Cup – to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka – kicks off on February 7. ADVERTISEMENT

Besides the target of winning another home series, there is a sub-plot to the Barabati contest. Suryakumar Yadav’s men will be looking to do what his predecessors could not – beat South Africa in a T20 International at Cuttack.

Of the three T20Is Barabati Stadium has staged so far, two involved South Africa. And in both those clashes, Proteas prevailed over the Men in Blue. In the other T20I at Cuttack, India got the better of Sri

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