ICC Men's T20 World Cup Warm-up Matches 2021/22

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup Warm-up Matches are a series of practice games organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) held immediately prior to the main tournament. They were first formally branded and scheduled as an official fixture category in 2021, coinciding with the expansion of the World Cup to 16 teams. Prior to 2021, teams played informal practice matches or nets, but these were not consistently structured or branded as official warm-up series.

The warm-up matches are not part of the official competitive pyramid; they do not count towards ICC rankings, official T20 International (T20I) records, or the World Cup points table. They are classified as non-official exhibition games, although they are sanctioned by the ICC and played under T20 regulations (20 overs per side). The format consists of specific pairings selected by the ICC, rather than a round-robin or group stage. Typically, 10-16 matches are played over five days.

Participation is not mandatory; teams may opt out if they have conflicting bilateral series. In the 2024 edition, England, Pakistan, and New Zealand skipped the warm-ups to play a bilateral series against each other in the UK. South Africa played an intra-squad match. Most participating teams played one or two matches. Notable records include West Indies scoring 257/4 against Australia in 2024, the highest team total in warm-up history, with Nicholas Pooran scoring 75 off 25 balls.

The matches serve primarily for acclimatization to host venue conditions. Unlike the main World Cup, which determines the global champion, the warm-ups have no winner or trophy, serving solely as preparation. They are distinct from bilateral series, which are official T20Is played for competitive strategy, whereas warm-ups are unofficial practice games played in the host nation's stadiums.