Japan T20I Tri-Series May 2026 Day-1 Preview: Fixtures Broadcast

Japan are hosting a men's T20I tri-series from May 12 to May 25, 2026 with Indonesia and South Korea. Three associate sides from the East Asia Pacific (EAP) region, full T20I status, and a fortnight of competitive cricket on Japanese soil at the Sano International Cricket Ground. Day 1 of the tri-series is Japan vs Indonesia. Here is the Day-1 preview, the full fixture list, squads, EAP qualifier context, and the country-by-country broadcast list.

Tri-Series Format

Six matches across two weeks. Each side plays the other two once in the first round, then again in a second round, with the top two sides at the end of the round-robin meeting in the final on May 25. Standard ICC T20I playing conditions, full T20I status, two reserve days built into the schedule. Sano International Cricket Ground hosts every fixture — the only ICC-accredited turf venue in Japan with full T20I status capability.

Full Fixture List

Date	Fixture	Time (Local)
May 12	Japan vs Indonesia	10:00 am
May 14	Indonesia vs South Korea	10:00 am
May 16	Japan vs South Korea	10:00 am
May 19	Japan vs Indonesia (return)	10:00 am
May 21	Indonesia vs South Korea (return)	10:00 am
May 23	Japan vs South Korea (return)	10:00 am
May 25	Final — top two	10:00 am

A 10 am local start gives all three sides a chance to bowl in cooler conditions and bat through the warmer middle of the day. The pitch reads firm under the morning sun and slows progressively across both innings.

Day 1 — Japan vs Indonesia At Sano

The opening match, Japan vs Indonesia, is the contest the host wants to win first. Japan's home advantage at Sano is the primary edge — their players have logged the most match-time on this pitch by a wide margin. Indonesia have toured Japan three times in the last five years and lost two of three previous bilateral series here.

Detail	Value
Venue	Sano International Cricket Ground
Date	May 12, 2026
Toss	9:30 am local
First Ball	10:00 am local
Format	T20I, full ICC status

Squads

Side	Squad Highlights
Japan	Kohei Kubota (c), Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Wataru Miyauchi, Ibrahim Takahashi, Tsubasa Takahashi, Marcus Thurgate, Reo Sakurano-Thomas
Indonesia	Muhammad Ridwan (c), Dimas Sudiarto, Anjar Tadarusman, Ferdinan Ali, Maulana Jayadi, Ardi Pujakesuma
South Korea	Won-Hyung Kim (c), Tae-Won Park, Jong-Min Lee, Hyun-Soo Kang, Sung-Joon Hwang

Japan's squad is the most experienced of the three. South Korea is the youngest and the side with the steepest ICC ranking climb available to it. Indonesia bring three of the squad members from their 2024 EAP qualifier appearance.

EAP Qualifier Context

This tri-series is calendar preparation for the T20 World Cup 2028 East Asia Pacific qualifier window. The EAP region typically gets one or two automatic qualifying spots and a regional final. Every T20I in this window builds ranking points and on-field repetition for the qualifier itself. Japan, as the highest-ranked of the three EAP sides outside of Papua New Guinea, treats this tri-series as both a competitive series and a selection laboratory. Indonesia and South Korea, both still building their senior international depth, treat it as match-time.

A meaningful side-effect: T20I status here means the next ICC ranking refresh will fold these results in. A 4-0 sweep by Japan would lift them inside the top 30 of the ICC men's T20I rankings.

Broadcast Country-By-Country

Region	Broadcast
Japan	YouTube live (Japan Cricket Association channel)
Indonesia	YouTube live (Indonesia Cricket channel)
South Korea	YouTube live (Korea Cricket Association channel)
Global	ICC.tv where rights apply
Australia	Cricket Network — YouTube simulcast

The ICC's YouTube partnership for associate fixtures means casual viewers can watch any of the six matches plus the final live, free, and worldwide. There is no traditional broadcast partner for this tri-series.

What To Watch For Beyond Day 1

Beyond Japan vs Indonesia on May 12, the most likely high-quality contest is Japan vs South Korea on May 16 — a regional rivalry that has tightened since both sides committed to senior-level T20I scheduling. The May 21 Indonesia vs South Korea return fixture will likely decide which of the two reaches the May 25 final, assuming Japan secures the top spot at home.

Related Reading

For the wider EAP qualifier picture and the day-by-day fixture list of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2028 EAP qualifier window, see our T20 World Cup 2028 East Asia Pacific qualifier May 2026 day-by-day fixtures. For more on the global associate calendar in this window, our ICC CWC L2 2026 final leg Day-1 preview Tilburg broadcast covers the parallel CWC League 2 leg.

Closing Read

Japan host. Indonesia and South Korea travel. Six matches and a final across two weeks. The Sano pitch will be familiar to one side and a learning curve to the other two. Japan are favourites. The story to watch is whether South Korea can grab the second final spot and make the May 25 contest a real one.

Related coverage: T20 WC 2028 East Asia Pacific Qualifier Format Explained