Japan's Captain Reflects on Narrow Defeat Against India in Historic T20I

In a thrilling T20I match, Japan's cricket team, led by captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, narrowly lost to India by just two runs. Despite the defeat, Kadowaki-Fleming expressed immense pride in his team's performance, emphasizing their ability to challenge one of the world's top teams until the final ball. He acknowledged the support from sponsors and volunteers that made the match possible and highlighted the promising talents within the team, including 17-year-old Charlie Hinze. As Japan looks ahead to the Asian Games, they are hopeful for a chance to advance to the knockout stages and compete for medals.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 22, 2026, 16:05 IST

Japan's Historic T20I Encounter with India

File image of Japanese captain Kadowaki Fleming and Indian captain Shreyas Iyer

(Photo: @Vipintiwari952/X)

Sano, Sep 22: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, the captain of Japan, expressed immense pride in his team's performance, despite narrowly losing to India by just two runs in their T20I match at the Sano International Cricket Ground.

“When the game is that close, it’s tough to accept, and emotions are high within our group. However, being able to challenge the world's best team until the final ball is a remarkable achievement,” Kadowaki-Fleming stated.

He also mentioned how surreal it was to hear Shreyas Iyer discuss the growth of cricket in Japan, expressing pride in his team and the wider cricket community for making the match possible.

Kadowaki-Fleming acknowledged the efforts of all those involved in organizing the match, including title sponsor Suzuki, the BCCI, and the Japan Cricket Association (JCA).

“Without the support from Suzuki, the BCCI, and the JCA, this match wouldn’t have happened. Additionally, many volunteers, including our female team members, worked tirelessly overnight to ensure the game took place,” he added.

Japan faced a challenging start, finding themselves at 32/4 against India, but Kadowaki-Fleming noted that the team remained optimistic about their chances.

“We were excited and believed that anything was possible. Facing world-class spinners like Axar, Washington, and Ravi Bishnoi on our spinning wicket was a significant challenge, but we kept our hopes alive,” he remarked.

Ultimately, India managed to defend their score of 33, winning the match by a mere two runs. This victory marked India's 200th T20I win, including Super Over matches, while Japan's performance boosted their aspirations for the Asian Games.

Kadowaki-Fleming praised the bowling efforts of 17-year-old Charlie Hinze, who took 2 wickets for 17 runs.

“Charlie has been part of our men's squad for a couple of years now. I was a bit disappointed that our 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) wasn’t in the lineup today, but Charlie showcased his talent on the field,” he said.

“I was not surprised by his performance, and it was great to see Ito-Davis and Takahashi bowl against some of the best spin players in the world,” he added.

As Japan prepares for the rest of their Asian Games journey, Kadowaki-Fleming mentioned that the team is aiming for a spot in the knockout stages and a potential medal.

“Today was a significant milestone as it was our first encounter with a full member team. We have a quick turnaround of about 36 hours before our next match against another full member. We will rest and prepare accordingly,” he stated.

“Winning one of our next two matches could lead us to face another full member in the knockout rounds, which is our goal. We have two strong opponents ahead, but we will compete fiercely,” he concluded.