The fifth edition of the Futures League will see the tournament revamped and more opportunities for young cricketers to showcase their skills. 

There are several exciting new developments, listed below: 

• The league will expand from four teams to six teams
• The league will change from 20 overs to 40 overs
• The league will run over two weekends in April (18,19,20 / 25,26 April)
• The league will move from Under 23 to Under 19
• The age cut off is a date of birth on or after 1st April 2007
• Entry fee will increase to JPY 10,000 per person

These changes have been made to align the JCA with the new participation criteria given by the ICC for entry into the Under 19 World Cup Qualification pathway. 

The old format of the tournament will be rebranded the Futures League T20, and will run in early October, retaining the same format. The T20 tournament will primarily be for players Under 23 who are living in Japan, or did not participate in the 40-over tournament. 

The registration form can be completed here: 

https://forms.gle/Eb5ZyQEuVZhAMc2b7 

The deadline for registrations is Friday 27th February 2026.

Squads will be limited to 14 players each, but those who are not selected are encouraged to come to the ground each day for some practice and to act as potential reserves. 

As it was in 2024 & 2025, the Futures League will also act as the trials for the National Academy Under 19 Squad, so all participants must be eligible to represent Japan through nationality, place or birth or residency. 

All matches on SICG One will be live streamed and we are excited to showcase the next generation of Japanese talent.