Japan bowled spin from both ends, and India’s 200th T20I win came down to the last over
Japan’s spinners held India to 32 for 4 at Sano, and Axar Patel had to defend eight in the last over to save the first men’s international between the two countries.
Sep 22, 2026
Japan bowled spin from both ends for all five overs at Sano on 22 September, and India’s batting order, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan included, made 32 for 4. Defending that took the last over of the match. India won their first men’s international against Japan by two runs.
Two and a half hours, then five overs each
A wet outfield held the toss up for about two and a half hours. By the time the umpires were happy, there was room for five overs a side and nothing more. Shreyas Iyer won the toss and batted.
Charlie Hara-Hinze, a left-arm spinner, took 2 for 17. Ibrahim Takahashi, an off-spinner, had 1 for 13. Abhishek Sharma missed a shovel sweep and was out for a golden duck. Iyer’s 16 off 12 was the only double-figure score India managed, and it contained a single four. They finished on 32 for 4.
Axar Patel had eight to defend
Japan lost Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake to a run out in the first over, Ishan Kishan hitting the stumps from the field. Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming made 12 before Washington Sundar had him, and Sundar finished with two wickets. Benjamin Ito-Davis was unbeaten on nine.
That left eight needed from the last over, with Axar Patel bowling it. The over got tense enough that India disputed a second consecutive wide, and the umpires overturned the call. Japan ended on 30 for 3.
India’s 200th T20I win
This was India’s 200th win in men’s T20 internationals, Super Overs included. It was also the fourth time they have won a T20I by exactly two runs, after results against South Africa in 2012, Bangladesh in 2016 and Sri Lanka in 2023.
The two countries had never played a men’s international before. The match was staged as the Suzuki Cup, tied to 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, at a ground in Tochigi Prefecture that was not built with this sort of occasion in mind.
The Asian Games start on 24 September
Iyer’s side is the Asian Games squad, with Tilak Varma as his deputy, and the men’s cricket event in Aichi-Nagoya runs from 24 September to 3 October. India go into it having been held to 32 for 4 by an Associate side’s spinners, which is not the worst thing to find out two days early.