Fiji vs South Korea, T20I Tri-Series, Japan 2026, Today Match Prediction

FIJI vs SKR Match Prediction & Analysis

South Korea and Fiji national cricket team will battle out in Japan in match 5 of the T20 Tri-Series 2026 on Sunday, 17th May. The venue for this match is Sano International Cricket Ground 2 and the scheduled start time is 6:30 AM IST. 

South Korea are coming off a riveting victory over the table toppers, while Fiji enter the contest with two straight defeats. The top two teams in the series will meet in the finals. It’s an elimination game for Fiji. 

Current Standings: South Korea stays at top with four points, while Fiji are placed at bottom with zero points.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Fiji Preview

Fiji arrive in Game 5 of the T20 series in Japan in pursuit of a huge victory. They lost their first two assignments against the Philippines and South Korea. Korea’s victory over Philippines put Fiji under pressure as they have to win their remaining two games with a positive NRR. In their previous game, Fiji suffered a four-wicket loss against the Philippines. They were bundled out for 116 runs. Vuniqawa smashed 42 off 31 balls and couldn’t get the support from the other end. 

After picking four wickets on 55 runs, Fiji had a chance to defend the total but Philippines crossed the line. Seru Tupou picked up two wickets. It will be the second assignment for Fiji against Korea. Earlier, they failed to defend 140 runs. They collapsed after an 86-run stand between openers. Vuniqawa could be a player to watch out for. He scored 59 against Korea and 42 against the Philippines. He can guide Fiji to a maiden victory in the series. 

Fiji Predicted Playing XI:

Josaia Baleic­ikobia, Kitione Tayaga, Noa Acawei, Peni Dakain­ivanua, Peni Vuniwaqa, Siteri Tabuisulu, Taleivuli Jikoibure, Viliame Waqava­katoga, Vilisoni Veiqravi, Metuisela Beitaki (wk), Seru Tupou (c)

South Korea Preview

South Korea are pumped up after ending the losing streak against the Philippines. They restricted them to 94 and chased down the total in 13.2 overs. With this win, they denied the table toppers a chance to reach finals. South Korea can qualify for the finals even if they lose this game. They made their NRR pretty strong. The captain tried seven bowlers in the last game and kept the Philippines silent. 

Sageer Ahmad is a player to watch out for. The opener scored 36-ball 59 in the last game, followed by 37 against Fiji. The slight improvement in the batting will help them to win the trophy this month. Korea chased down 141 runs in 18 overs when they last met Fiji in the ongoing series. 

South Korea Predicted Playing XI:

Aiden Broomfield, Alex Parsons, Chamith Ranasinghe, Daham Madampage, Hyeon Parsons, Jun Hyunwoo, Kuldeep Gurjar, Muhammad Nadeem, Sageer Ahmad, Sameera Maduranga, Balage Dilruksha (c & wk)

Weather Conditions

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, Sano will be cloudy with a high of 30°C and a low of 13°C, along with a 20% chance of rain and north winds at 14 kph.

FIJI vs SKR Pitch Report

The pitch at Sano Cricket Ground offers good assistance to the batters. The surface is good to bat on. The new ball will be tough to survive but later, it becomes a good batting track. It is a decent T20I batting surface with the average 1st innings score around 150 runs. Anything above 150 can be a good total to defend. The pitch gets better later as the match progresses. 

Toss: To Bowl

Chasing is a good call on this ground considering the behaviour of the pitch. The new ball will be tough to judge but it will get better with passing time. It also offers spin assistance but pace will still be a big factor. It’s a surface where teams should bat first and get 150-160. Both teams have had much success while bowling first and they will look to bat first in this fixture as well.