India vs Japan T20I: India will step into new territory when they take on Japan in the historic one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The Suzuki Cup clash, scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM IST, will be the first-ever men’s international meeting between the two nations. The match also marks the launch of celebrations for 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations.
For India, the game comes at an interesting juncture. The reigning T20 World Cup champions have arrived in Japan after completing a 3-0 T20I series sweep against Afghanistan and will use the fixture as preparation for the upcoming Asian Games. Shreyas Iyer will lead a squad containing considerable international experience, although the team management has several selection calls to make.
The biggest question is whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally gets his opportunity. The teenage opener was part of India’s Afghanistan squad but did not feature in the series. With only one T20I before the Asian Games, this could be the ideal occasion to hand him another opportunity.
India’s bowling attack could see Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh operating together, while Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi provide spin options. Varun Chakravarthy is unavailable after a side strain, with Vipraj Nigam added as his replacement.
Japan, meanwhile, will be led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, their all-time leading T20I run-scorer. Experienced players such as Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb will be central to Japan’s plans, while emerging all-rounder Jake Kusuda-Nairn is another player to watch. Captain Iyer admitted India have limited footage of their opponents, making adaptation to unfamiliar conditions another intriguing prospect (India vs Japan T20I).
India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
Japan Probable XI: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Shirai Patmore (wk), Alester Fleming, Benjamin Ito Davis, Reo Sakurano Thomas, Kohei Kubota, Wataru Miyauchi, Declan Suzuki, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake.
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