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.

The Indian men’s cricket team will take on Japan in their first-ever T20 International on September 22, marking the launch of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations.

The match, to be played in Sano in Japan, will offer the Indian team valuable game time to fine-tune combinations and build momentum ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.

“The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are delighted to announce that the men’s teams from each nation will play a T20 International match to launch the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations,” said BCCI in a statement.

The teams will compete for the Suzuki Cup at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

“The match will be the first step of ‘Sport 75’, an initiative that stems from an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and aims to promote human exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sports, taking note of India’s ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036,” the statement added.

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.

India are the defending Asian Games champions after claiming gold at the previous edition in Hangzhou, China, where their final against Afghanistan was washed out by rain and they were awarded the title on the basis of their higher T20I seeding.

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

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the India-Japan clash will provide cricket with a platform to expand its footprint and reach new, uncharted territories.

“The BCCI is delighted to be part of this historic occasion as the Indian and Japanese men’s teams come together for a special T20 International in Japan. This is a significant moment for cricket, as it takes the Indian team to new territory and provides an opportunity to introduce the sport to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia,” Mr. Saikia said.

“India and Japan share a strong and longstanding relationship and friendship, and we are pleased that cricket will be part of the celebrations marking 75 years of bilateral relations between the two countries, and we thank the Japan Cricket Association (JCA) for its efforts in making this fixture possible,” he added.

He said it was the responsibility of the world’s largest cricket board to take the sport beyond its traditional strongholds and into new territories.

“The BCCI believes that the growth of cricket must extend beyond its traditional territories, and as the world’s largest cricket board, we recognise our responsibility to contribute to that growth. The BCCI will work closely with the JCA to further strengthen cricket in Japan and to build on this relationship in the years ahead.” JCA CEO Naoki Miyaji said. “To be able to invite the reigning world champions to the home of cricket in Japan is a landmark moment for our association.”

“We thank the BCCI for working with us towards this goal and greatly look forward to welcoming the passion of Indian cricket fans, and we actively encourage any local Japanese people curious about cricket to come and cheer on our team in what will be a truly memorable occasion.” Mr. Miyaji added.