India held their nerve to beat Japan by two runs in the only T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground after Japan’s bowlers reduced the two-time world champions to 32/4. The victory marked India’s 200th win in T20 internationals, including victories in Super Overs.
India’s narrow win in Sano ranks among their closest victories in T20Is. India have now won four T20Is by exactly two runs, with the other three victories coming against Sri Lanka in 2023, South Africa in 2012 and Bangladesh in 2016.
A wet outfield delayed the start by nearly 2.5 hours. After winning the toss, India captain Shreyas Iyer chose to bat first, but Japan’s spinners quickly took control of the contest.
Japan restricted India to 32/4 after five overs. Sanju Samson scored nine runs from seven balls before Abhishek Sharma fell for a first-ball duck. Ishan Kishan then departed for three runs, while Iyer made 16 from 12 deliveries. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on one, while Shivam Dube failed to connect with the final delivery.
Charlie Hinze led Japan’s bowling attack with two wickets for 17 runs. Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito-Davis claimed one wicket each.
Japan needed 33 runs from 30 balls to win, and the hosts came remarkably close to completing one of the biggest upsets in their cricket history. Washington Sundar struck twice to disrupt Japan’s chase, while Axar Patel used his experience and control to keep the scoring in check.
Japan ultimately finished two runs short, allowing India to escape with a tense victory.
The match also produced a contentious moment during the fourth over of Japan’s chase. The umpire initially called a delivery wide, but reversed the decision after Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer argued that the batter had attempted a reverse sweep, making the delivery legitimate.
Despite the defeat, Japan produced an encouraging performance ahead of the Asian Games. India, meanwhile, secured the win after an unusual and tightly contested five-over-a-side match.
Iyer Praises Japan’s Fighting Spirit
India captain Shreyas Iyer congratulated Japan for their performance and acknowledged the efforts that made the historic five-over contest possible.
“First, congratulations to Japan and India for 75 years of diplomatic relationship. It’s something that we keep talking about every now and then when we arrive. So congratulations to everyone who has been present over here to deliver this particular game, and it’s come out so fantastic.
“Even though it was five overs, honestly, [it was great to] experience such a great performance from Japanese team and also Indian players as well. I feel it was an exciting game and, yeah, honestly they were also brilliant with their performances.”
Japan Captain Hails Close Contest
Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming said the narrow defeat made the result particularly difficult to accept but highlighted the significance of pushing India until the final ball.
“I think I’ve been saying to a few other guys, that 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.”
Brief scores:
India 33/4 in 5 overs (Shreyas Iyer 16, Sanju Samson 9; Charlie Hara-Hinze 2-17, Ibrahim Takahashi 1-13)
Japan 30/3 in 5 overs (Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming 12, Benjamin Ito-Davis 9; Washington Sundar 2-13)