Japan cricket team captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming praised his side’s remarkable resilience following a narrow two-run defeat against India in a rain-curtailed five-over T20 match at Sano International Cricket Ground. Despite the loss, Japan held the reigning world champions to 32/4 and needed just four runs off the final ball to pull off a historic upset. Kadowaki-Fleming noted that taking a world-class team to the wire has boosted his squad’s confidence ahead of their Asian Games 2026 fixtures.
The friendly fixture, organized to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, was delayed by rain and cut down to five overs per side. Japan’s bowling attack capitalized on the spin-friendly track immediately, with 17-year-old Charlie Hara-Hinze picking up two wickets, while Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito-Davis claimed one each.
Their disciplined tight lines restricted a star-studded Indian batting unit—including Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan—to just 32 runs, with Indian captain Shreyas Iyer top-scoring with 16 off 12 balls. (India vs Japan Scorecard)
Japan captain about their fight against India:
Chasing 33 runs, Japan fought till the very last delivery against India’s elite spin attack. Kadowaki-Fleming top-scored with 12 off 12 balls, leading his team to 30/3 before Axar Patel defended the target on the final ball.
Reflecting on the match, Kadowaki-Fleming stated that hearing high praise from Shreyas Iyer felt surreal for Japanese cricket. He added that scoring at over six runs an over against world-class spinners gives Japan immense belief as they aim for a medal at the Asian Games, where a single group stage victory could secure them a knockout berth.
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming expressed immense pride in his team for taking the world’s top-ranked side to the final ball and noted that the performance builds great confidence for the Asian Games. 17-year-old Charlie Hara-Hinze took 2/13, while Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito-Davis took one wicket each, restricting India to 32/4 in five overs.
