India Beat Japan by Two Runs in Historic First-Ever T20I
India defeated Japan by two runs in a rain-shortened five-over T20I at Sano, winning the historic first men's T20I between the two nations.
Dharshini
Sano: India defeated Japan by two runs in a thrilling rain-shortened one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Japan on Tuesday, September 22.
After winning the toss, India captain Shreyas Iyer elected to bat first in the five-overs-a-side contest. India struggled against Japan's disciplined bowling attack and finished with 32 runs for the loss of four wickets. Iyer top-scored with 16 runs from 12 balls, while Sanju Samson contributed nine runs.
Japan were set a target of 33 runs and made a strong attempt to chase it, but finished on 30 for three after their five overs, falling two runs short of victory. Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming scored 12 runs from 12 balls, while Benjamin Ito-Davis made nine.
For India, Washington Sundar was the standout bowler, taking two wickets for 13 runs. Earlier, Japan's Charlie Hara-Hinze claimed two wickets as India's top order struggled to build momentum.
The match marked the first-ever men's T20I between India and Japan and was played under the Suzuki Cup banner ahead of India's campaign at the 2026 Asian Games. The fixture also formed part of events commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
