Kolkata : Japan have named the group that will face India in their historic men’s T20I against ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions and No.1 ranked side India on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground.
The squad is the same as the group picked for their home Asian Games campaign, which begins two days later in Nagoya.
All-time leading T20I run-scorer for Japan Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming again leads the side, with Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb the other two players with more than 50 T20Is to their name.
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 means the likes of emerging spin-bowling all-rounder Jake Kusuda-Nairn earns a call-up to the squad after impressing in domestic competition, and a return for Tsuyoshi Takada, who first appeared for Japan back at the ICC East Asia-Pacific Twenty20 Championship in 2013.
The squad also includes Wataru Miyauchi and Makoto Taniyama who are alumni of Japanese schools with cricket Bukatsu programs. Taniyama, a leg-spinner who modelled his action while watching Shane Warne videos on YouTube, also plays in shirt number 23 in honour of the Australian great, and is Japan’s leading wicket-taker across all pathway and international competitions.
Charlie Hara-Hinze, who featured in the side’s U19 Cricket World Cup team that claimed victory over Tanzania, is also in the squad.
The side also welcome back spinner Benjamin Ito-Davis, who’s East-Asia Pacific T20 World Cup 2028 Sub-Regional Qualifier was cut short due to a hand injury.
Japan placed second in that tournament and remain alive for 2028 T20 World Cup qualification, level on points but edged on net run rate by Papua New Guinea despite defeating the Barramundis on the final day of competition.
The match against India is 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, aiming 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.
Japan 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.
Japan Squad for India T20I match –
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi (wk), Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alex Shirai-Patmore (wk), Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake.
