India's predicted T20I XI for Suzuki Cup opener at Sano against Japan
India will begin their Japan tour with a T20I against Japan at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Sano on September 22, 2026, a match played under the Suzuki Cup banner and marking the first time Japan will face India in any format of men’s international cricket.
The Japan Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the fixture on the 75th anniversary of India–Japan diplomatic relations, with organisers saying the fixture will further help strengthen ties between the two countries.
Abhishek Sharma is a confirmed selection for the top order; the left-hander was Player of the Series in the Afghanistan T20Is and hit a 30-ball century in the last match of that series. Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15, is also in contention as an opener after making his debut against England and winning the Player of the Series award against Zimbabwe.
Sanju Samson is pencilled in at No. 3 and to take the wicketkeeping duties if Ishan Kishan is rested from continuous cricket. Shreyas Iyer will captain and occupy the No. 4 position, a role the preview describes as central to India’s middle order for the fixture.
Tilak Varma is expected to provide middle-over stability and accelerate when required, having underperformed in the Afghanistan series and seeking an improved display in Sano. Shivam Dube remains India’s first-choice batting all-rounder; the piece notes he is one of the more experienced campaigners, was part of the ICC T20 World Cup squads over the past two seasons, and that India won both World Cups with Dube playing a massive role.
Axar Patel is listed as a regular T20 option who can contribute with both bat and ball and bolster the spin department. The report states India are without Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar in the T20I against Japan, and that the release of Nitish Kumar Reddy from the side opens the door for Washington Sundar in the XI.
In the pace department, Arshdeep Singh — who was rested in the last T20I against Afghanistan — is expected to lead the seam attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah and provide a left-arm option, having looked in good touch in the Afghanistan series. Bumrah returned to international cricket after being cleared by the medical team following a prolonged run of injuries in the Afghanistan series and is expected to play to gain more game time; Yash Thakur is also likely to feature given the pace-friendly conditions and his decent outing in the last T20I against Afghanistan.
The JPN vs IND T20I is scheduled for September 22, 2026, at the Sano International Cricket Ground as part of the Suzuki Cup.