India vs Japan cricket T20: Shreyas Iyer & Co. survive Japan scare, clinch two-run win
India survived a major scare against Japan, edging to a two-run win in a rain-curtailed five-over T20I at the Sano International Ground.
Updated : Sep 22, 2026 14:41 IST , Chennai - 4 MINS READ
Due to a wet outfield and the delay, the match was reduced to a five-over game. | Photo Credit: BCCI/X
Due to a wet outfield and the delay, the match was reduced to a five-over game. | Photo Credit: BCCI/X
India survived a major scare on Tuesday, edging Japan by two runs in a rain-curtailed one-off T20I at the Sano International Ground.
A wet outfield delayed the start by three hours, reducing the contest to five overs per side. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat, but what was expected to be a routine outing for the defending T20 World Cup champion quickly turned into a test of adaptability.
India, ranked No. 1 in the world, struggled on an unfamiliar surface that was slow, low and offered sharp turn and occasional extra bounce. Fresh from playing on batting-friendly pitches against Afghanistan, its batters found the conditions in Sano difficult to read.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma tried to attack from the outset, but the approach quickly backfired. By the end of the third over, India had lost three wickets, with Samson, Abhishek and Ishan Kishan back in the dugout.
Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming was excellent with his bowling changes and field placements, using spin throughout the innings.
Shreyas was the exception. He resisted the temptation to play big shots, instead relying on singles and twos to keep India moving. His measured approach helped India recover and finish on 32 for four.
Japan’s chase was similarly difficult. India’s spinners, led by Axar Patel, kept the batters tied down and made the most of the sluggish surface.
Fleming briefly shifted the momentum, taking 10 runs off Ravi Bishnoi in the third over. But his dismissal in the fourth left Japan needing too much with too little time.
Axar held his nerve in the final over, conceding only six runs to defend eight and seal a two-run win. Japan needed four from the final ball but could manage only one.
Shreyas, named Player of the Match, praised Japan’s approach.
“It was turning square, was a very difficult surface to bat. It was important to take singles and rotate the strike. I just decided to play on the merit of the ball. That worked out pretty well. I always keep saying that five-over games can go anywhere. Kudos to them, their approach was impeccable. For us, it was great practice,” he said.
Fleming said he was proud of Japan for taking India to the final ball.
“Extremely proud. When it gets that close, it’s actually a little bit tougher to take, and the emotions are running pretty high in our group. But 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,” he said.
“To hear someone like Shreyas talking about the progression of Japan cricket is still quite surreal. So, extremely proud of our group and the broader cricket community that we were able to make this game happen.”
Japan, Fleming added, entered the chase believing it had a chance despite India’s formidable spin attack.
“We ran in and we knew that anything is possible was the attitude. They’ve got some world-class spinners, Axar, Washington and Ravi Bishnoi bowling on our spinning wicket. We knew it was going to be an extreme challenge, but at six and a half an over your mind does sort of wander and think you get a couple out of the middle and you never know,” he said.
Both teams will now head to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. India will enter the quarterfinals, while Japan will face Afghanistan and Nepal in the group stage.
Published on Sep 22, 2026
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