**South Africa-West Indies T20I Series Shortened to Three Matches**
*By Parth Dhall | September 30, 2025, 03:47 PM*
South Africa’s upcoming home international T20I series against the West Indies has been shortened from five matches to three. The reduction is due to a scheduling conflict with the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, which necessitates concluding the series earlier than initially planned.
Originally, the five T20Is were scheduled to take place between January 27 and February 6, 2026. However, the series will now wrap up by January 31, marking the start of the support period for the T20 World Cup.
**Venue Changes**
As a result of the revised schedule, two venues have been dropped from the original lineup. Cape Town’s Newlands and Buffalo Park in East London, which were set to host two matches, will no longer be part of the series.
Instead, the three T20Is will be played at Boland Park in Paarl, Centurion’s SuperSport Park, and the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. These matches are slated for January 27, 29, and 31 respectively.
**Special ‘Pink Day’ T20I in Paarl**
With no ODI cricket planned in South Africa for the 2025/26 season, the final T20I of the series will carry special significance. The match held at Boland Park in Paarl will be observed as “Pink Day,” an annual event where the South African team dons pink jerseys.
Pink Day is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for breast cancer treatment and remains a key highlight in South Africa’s home season calendar.
**South Africa’s Packed International Schedule Ahead**
South Africa’s busy international calendar continues to shape their scheduling decisions. The Proteas are currently on an overseas tour that runs until December 19, 2025.
Next month, they will begin their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title defense with a series against Pakistan, which includes Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is. Following that, South Africa will embark on an all-format tour to India featuring two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is.
Looking ahead, South Africa is also set to co-host the 2027 ODI World Cup alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia, adding further excitement to their international cricket commitments.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/south-africa-to-play-three-t20is-against-west-indies/story