IBNS-CMEDIA: India’s men’s cricket team survived a major scare on Monday, edging Japan by two runs in a one-off T20I in Sano.
The less-fancied Japanese side pushed the T20 world champions to the limit in a historic encounter between the two teams.
The match was reduced to five overs per side after delays caused by a wet outfield.
Winning the toss, India opted to bat first but endured a disastrous start. Sanju Samson (9) and Abhishek Sharma (0) failed to provide India with the explosive opening they are known for, leaving the team at 9/2 in quick time.
Ishan Kishan also struggled with the bat, contributing just three runs.
Shreyas Iyer attempted to accelerate the scoring and top-scored for India with a quick 17 before being dismissed by Charlie Hara-Hinze.
The Indian openers, who had produced memorable knocks in the recent T20 series against Afghanistan, looked completely out of touch against a disciplined Japanese bowling attack.
India eventually managed just 32/4 from their allotted five overs, leaving Japan needing 33 runs to pull off a stunning upset against the T20 champions.
Japan made a confident start to the chase but lost Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake (1) and Ibrahim Takahashi (4) in quick succession.
However, captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming kept Japan in contention with a 12-ball 12 that included a boundary.
A special start to a historic clash 🤝
Beautiful scenes at the toss as #TeamIndia Skipper @ShreyasIyer15 is presented with a special memento to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations 🇮🇳🇯🇵#TeamIndiaInJapan | @CricketJapan pic.twitter.com/bv4JiIdaMi
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 22, 2026
Washington Sundar eventually dismissed the Japanese skipper, leaving the hosts’ hopes resting on Benjamin Ito-Davis (9 not out) and Shirai-Patmore (2 not out).
Japan needed eight runs from the final over, but Axar Patel held his nerve, conceding only five runs and restricting Japan to 30/3.
Patel finished with two wickets as India escaped with a narrow two-run victory.
The win was a landmark one for India, marking their 200th victory in T20 internationals and making them the first team to reach the milestone.
Iyer and his teammates will now turn their attention to defending India’s Asian Games gold medal, with several strong Asian sides set to provide a stern challenge in the multi-sport tournament.”
