Seasoned spinner Axar Patel choked the inexperienced Japanese batters just in time as India survived a scare to win the rain-curtailed one-off T20 International between the two mismatched sides by a mere two runs on Tuesday (September 22, 2026).

With the match being reduced to five overs-a-side due to inclement weather and the underlying moisture on the surface offering more than expected turn, the apparent gulf in talent and experience was seemingly bridged as India managed only 32 for 4 in five overs hitting a total of three boundaries.

While defending the target, India looked in danger of being embarrassed when Ravi Bishnoi went for 10 runs in the third over and Washington Sundar (2/13) gave away seven in the penultimate over.

However, with eight runs required off the final over, Axar’s (2-0-7-0) experience of playing 150-plus IPL games came in handy as he didn’t give any room to Shirai Patmore and Benjamin Ito-Davis to chance their arms. It also helped that rain had slowed down the outfield.

In the final over, umpire Chris Thurgate gave a few contentious wide ball calls when left-handed Patmore tried playing the reverse slog and missed twice.

An unhappy Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer complained to leg-umpire Chris Brown and the second wide was overturned.

While Japan gave India a scare but it had more to do with the shortened game on a rank turner that literally made the match into a lottery.

Also, unlike the track in Aichi-Nagoya, where the women’s team won gold medal with a power-packed batting show, the Sano pitch didn’t offer conducive conditions which one associates with strokeplay in T20 cricket.

Earlier, unheralded Japanese spinners challenged the star-studded Indian batting line-up to restrict them to a below-par 32 for 4, which might have made skipper Shreyas Iyer question his decision to bat first. The underlying moisture of the pitch helped in providing appreciable turn for left-arm spinner Charlie Hara Hinze (2/17) and off-spinner Ibrahim Takahashi (1/13).

Abhishek Sharma (0) was dismissed by Hara-Hinze after the Indian swashbuckler mis-timed a slog sweep while Takahashi flighted one to deceive Sanju Samson (10) in the air with his heave being taken at mid-wicket boundary.

Benjamin Ito-Davis (1/2) then got rid of Ishan Kishan (3), who was consistently trying to hit against the turn and ended up ballooning one to mid-off.

Shreyas Iyer (16) hit a boundary but the pitch was such that Indian players found it difficult to hit across the line.

The turn and the slowness of the track contributed to their downfall and the shorter duration of the match meant that there was no chance of a recovery.

Credit must be given to the three Japanese spinners and skipper Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming who understood the conditions at the venue where the home team plays all its home games.

Japan’s leading run-scorer Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming will lead his country in the historic one-off T20 International against India on September 22 in Sano with the hosts opting to field the same squad that will play in the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb are the other two players with the experience of more than 50 T20Is, stated the International Cricket Council (ICC). To be played under the banner of the Suzuki Cup, it will commemorate the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations.

“As part of their Asian Games preparation, the side have opted not to include players who are eligible to play T20Is under ICC regulations but ineligible under Asian Games rules,” it added.

30-year-old Kadowaki-Fleming has appeared in 55 T20Is and scored 1871 runs at a strike rate of 139.41. He has two hundreds and 12 half centuries to his credit.

The Asian Games begin on September 19. The men’s cricket competition will get underway from September 24. Ranked No. 1, India are the reigning T20 World Cup champions, while Japan are placed 41st in ICC T20 rankings.

The 15-member Japanese squad also includes wicket-keeper Wataru Miyauchi and leg-spinner Makoto Taniyama, who is inspired by late Australian great Shane Warne. He is Japan’s leading wicket-taker.

Rookie spin-bowling all-rounder Jake Kusuda-Nairn has also been included on the basis of his domestic performances along side medium pacer Tsuyoshi Takada.

The match against India is part of an initiative that stems from an agreement during a summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi.

Japan will also play two T20Is against Hong Kong on September 19 and 20.

They face Afghanistan (September 24) and Nepal (September 26) at the Asian Games, needing to finish in the top two to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Monday (September 7, 2026) said the historic one-off T20 International between India and Japan this month will be a significant moment in cricket’s journey to become a global sport by connecting to a new audience.

India and Japan are set to lock horns for the first time in a historic T20I in Japan on September 22, ahead of the men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The Games will start on September 19.

The match will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture. Played under the banner of the Suzuki Cup, it will commemorate the 75th anniversary of India–Japan diplomatic relations.

Mr. Saikia said the match is an effort of ICC chairman Jay Shah to take cricket to newer territories.

“Cricket’s global journey is being shaped by moments that take the game beyond its traditional boundaries. The India–Japan T20I match on 22nd September,’26 is one such moment taking international cricket to Japan, connecting with a new audience and strengthening the game’s presence in a region with immense potential,” Mr. Saikia wrote on ‘X’.

“It is also an opportunity to recognise the vision and groundwork laid by Shri Jay Shah during his tenure as BCCI Secretary, and now as ICC Chairman, in placing the global growth of cricket firmly at the heart of the sport’s future. From expanding cricket into new territories to building a stronger pathway towards the Olympic movement, the ambition has always been clear: make cricket more accessible, more inclusive and truly global,” he added.

Mr. Saikia said BCCI is committed to working towards making cricket a global sport.

“India-Japan is more than a cricket match. It represents the direction in which our sport is moving from a global ambition to a global reality,” he said.

“The journey has begun. And there is much more to come.” Ranked No.1, India are the reigning T20 World Cup champions, while Japan are placed 41st in ICC T20 rankings.

The match will also help India acclimatise to Japanese conditions and give them valuable game time to fine-tune combinations and build momentum ahead of the Asian Games.

Seeded directly into the knockout stage, India will begin their Asian Games campaign in the quarterfinals on September 28.

The Indian team will be led by Shreyas Iyer, with vice-captain Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi among the key names in the squad.