India vs Japan T20I: A Historic Match Ahead of the Asian Games

India Opts to Bat First in Historic T20I Against Japan

On September 22 in Tokyo, India won the toss and chose to bat first in a landmark one-off T20I against Japan. Captain Shreyas Iyer emphasized that this match serves as a valuable opportunity to evaluate the playing conditions in preparation for the upcoming Asian Games.

Due to persistent rain delays, the match has been shortened to a five-over format before it even began.

Iyer expressed the team's desire to bat first to maximize the occasion while gaining insights into the conditions and pitches that will be utilized during the continental tournament. He stated, “We are going to bat first. It is a big occasion; it is going to be an exciting one, and we want to explore the conditions. It is going to be a 5-over side, so we want to bat first.”

Reflecting on his role as captain in Japan, Iyer noted the significance of this game in understanding the local conditions ahead of the Asian Games. “I never envisioned that I would be coming to Japan and captaining India. It is important we know the conditions and what is happening around us. These are the pitches that will be offered at the Asian Games, so this game is important heading into that,” he added.

Japan's captain, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, mentioned her preference to bowl first but was pleased with the toss outcome, expressing her excitement about facing India. “We probably would have bowled. I was happy either way. It is pure excitement; it is starting to sink now, and hopefully we can put on a show,” Kadowaki-Fleming remarked.

She also acknowledged the support from Indian fans, highlighting India's presence as a pivotal moment for Japanese cricket. “There are quite a few Indian supporters here. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has made this game happen. It is amazing, reigning world champions coming here; we wouldn’t have believed it a few years ago,” she added.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Japan (Playing XI): Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming(c), Benjamin Ito-Davis, Wataru Miyauchi, Alexander Shirai-Patmore(w), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Ibrahim Takahashi, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater