India won by 2 runs. That is the scoreline from the first-ever T20I between India and Japan, and it barely tells the story.
At Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22, a rain-shortened five-over contest nearly produced the biggest upset in T20I history. India, the world’s top-ranked side, defended 32. Japan, an Associate nation playing their first game against a Full Member, fell two runs short on the last ball.
The match was part of the Suzuki Cup, celebrating 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations. Both teams were using it as preparation for the 2026 Asian Games cricket tournament. What was meant to be a ceremonial occasion turned into a genuine contest.
“The fact that we were able to run the best team in the world, in my opinion, to the last ball of a game is pretty special.”
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, post-match presentation, September 22, 2026
What the cameras showed was a close finish. What they did not show is what turning square does to a batter’s hands when the entire innings is five overs long.
India won the toss and batted first on a surface that offered sharp turn from the first delivery. Abhishek Sharma fell for a golden duck in the opening over, caught off Charlie Hara-Hinze. Sanju Samson, who had been backed as an opener ahead of the tour, followed for 9, caught at slip off Ibrahim Takahashi.
Ishan Kishan managed 3 before falling to Benjamin Ito-Davis. India were 14/3 inside three overs.
Shreyas Iyer held the innings together with 16 off 12 balls, the only batter to reach double figures. His approach was deliberate. Singles, doubles, the occasional boundary. He fell in the final over, caught off Hara-Hinze, who finished with 2/14.
Hara-Hinze was the standout. He exploited the conditions with accuracy that troubled India’s top order throughout. Reo Sakurano-Thomas bowled a maiden in his single over, conceding nothing. Japan’s bowlers held India to 32/4, the lowest total successfully defended in a five-over T20I.
Japan needed 33 from five overs. A required rate of 6.6, modest in any T20 context. Washington Sundar struck twice, removing Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake for 2 and Ibrahim Takahashi for 4. Japan were 8/2. The chase looked finished.
It was not. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming played the anchor role, scoring 12 off 12 with a boundary that briefly shifted momentum. Reo Sakurano-Thomas joined him and kept Japan in contention with an unbeaten 8 off 8.
With 8 needed from the final over, Axar Patel had the ball. The third delivery was called wide by the square leg umpire. A wide would have given Japan an extra run and an extra ball. Iyer and Axar immediately challenged the call, and the umpire reversed the decision. The moment sparked controversy on social media, with critics accusing India of pressuring the official into changing his call.
“They’ve got some world-class spinners, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi bowling. On our Sano wicket, we knew it was going to be an extreme challenge, but at a required run-rate of six-and-a-half, your mind does sort of wander and think you get a couple out of the middle and you never know.”
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, post-match presentation, September 22, 2026
Axar conceded only 5 from the over. Japan finished 30/3. Two runs short.
What Turning Square Actually Means in a Five-Over Game
On a normal T20 pitch, a batter can afford two or three deliveries to read the surface. In a five-over game on a pitch turning square, that luxury does not exist. Every ball is a decision with no safety net behind it.
When the ball grips and turns sharply, the front foot has to commit before the ball lands. The hands tighten. The instinct is to play hard at everything, which is exactly what gets you caught at the boundary.
Iyer’s 16 off 12 does not look like a match-winning innings on paper. On that surface, rotating strike was the only way to survive. Hitting through the line was a dismissal waiting to happen.
Three of India’s four wickets came from catches, batters undone by the turn and playing at deliveries they would leave on a normal pitch.
“Was turning square, was a very difficult wicket to bat on. I decided it’s easy to take singles and doubles, interact with the batsman who came in with me.”
Shreyas Iyer, post-match presentation, September 22, 2026
Iyer called Japan’s attitude “impeccable” after the match. Kadowaki-Fleming spoke of pride, but also of moments that would replay on the long bus ride home. Both teams now head to the Asian Games, where the stakes will be higher and the pitches different.
For Japan, this was proof of readiness. For India, it was a reminder that no surface, no format, and no opponent is routine.
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Shreyas Iyer are raring to go for Japan and India’s historic first-ever T20I match 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OWNbgZwGFs
— ICC (@ICC) September 22, 2026
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