The last thing on the minds of a team sandwiched between two Test series is a limited-overs tournament but South Africa may have enjoyed casting their eyes over the World T20 schedule. Their men's team has been grouped with three former champions - England, West Indies and Sri Lanka - which speaks to the magnitude of their task but they will still consider themselves in the easier pool.

South Africa avoided hosts India, who accounted for their exit at the last World T20, Pakistan, who got the better of them in 2009, Australia, a constant nemesis in their quest for major tournament silverware, and New Zealand, the team who beat them in the last two 50-over World Cup knockouts. Given South Africa's current T20 form - they have beaten Bangladesh and India in T20 series away in the last five months - they will fancy their chances of breaking their trophy drought in the same place their nine-year unbeaten run on the road as a Test side ended.

"With the World T20 around the corner, the T20s in India was quite important for us because conditions in India is what we will be faced with at the World Cup," Russell Domingo, South Africa's coach said when delivering his assessment of the entire tour of India at the team's arrival home. "Our ODI and T20 cricket seems to be in a good space at the moment."

South Africa beat India 2-0 in a three-match series (one game was washed out) and chased successfully both times. In the first match, they hunted down 200 thanks to a solid opening stand and a good finishing effort from JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien. In the second, they shot India out for 92 after Albie Morkel's career-best figures on comeback. Both games would have showed South Africa the combination they need for the tournament itself.

Promoting AB de Villiers to open the batting alongside Hashim Amla and keep wicket allows for an extra batsman lower in the line-up, while Morkel is a welcome addition to the bowling stocks and Imran Tahir remains an effective first-choice spinner in the format. However, Domingo indicated South Africa actually wanted to use the dead-rubber to experiment with other combinations.

"Unfortunately the third game was rained out so the opportunities we were hoping to give to Eddie Leie, Khaya Zondo and Quinton de Kock in the T20 format did not take place because of weather," Domingo said.

That is actually where South Africa need to be most careful. They still have five* T20s before the event, all at home. Two are against England, their opening opponents at the World T20, and three against Australia, who will be sure to test them in every discipline. Overcomplicating things by altering combinations that already work could muddle South African minds ahead of an event they need to go into with clarity.

Currently, South Africa are comfortable with their T20 cricket structure. "All in all we were very happy with the way we've played," Domingo said. "We've beaten Bangladesh and India in the subcontinent and performances like that can only give you confidence." Once they have found that confidence, there is nothing wrong with pushing the pause button and letting that sink in.

Instead, South Africa have been casting their eye over how to get even stronger. "We've been watching the Ram Slam - it was on in India - and great to see players who are in the national side putting in good performances. Quinton de Kock has been leading the way but we've also seen Aaron Phangiso, Eddie Leie and David Miller's got some runs. It's good to see the players in the national side doing that well."

De Kock leads the run-charts in the competition with 425 runs, including three fifties, at an average of 42.50 and strike rate of 142.61, and may yet play himself back into the World T20 side. He has already done so in the 50-over game. Leie should provide an additional option to Tahir unless Phangiso, who was dropped from the T20 squad, is recalled and the left-arm spinner is making a case for himself. Phangiso is third on the wicket-takers' table with 15 scalps at 15.20 while Leie has taken 14 at 19.78.

Chris Morris, also part of South Africa's plans, leads the list with 18 at 14.16, while Miller's runs, which include one fifty, are important after a lean patch. But beyond that, South Africa probably don't need to look too much further and should remind themselves not to when they are tempted. Luckily for them, the domestic T20 competition ends on Saturday.

It has so far produced several tight finishes, including a last-ball win for the Dolphins over the Cobras in the play-off where young quick Andile Phehlukwayo was the hero. Phehlukwayo, a team-mate of Kagiso Rabada's at the Under-19 World Cup, defended 10 off the last over. Eye-catching as it was, he should be shelved under the one-for-the-future category and South Africa should stick with what has already worked at the World T20.

While the men grapple with when to accept that they have done enough, South Africa's women - who also reached the last four in 2014 - will gear up to face defending champions Australia in their first match. Three South Africa players, captain Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk, are at the women's Big Bash League and the experience they gain there could be handy for the tournament.

* 3pm GMT - This was corrected from six to five, with two against England