Australia’s Ashes tour of 1930 produced one of the most unusual chapters in cricket history when the team’s ship stopped in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, on its way to England. Such stopovers were common for Ashes-bound teams, but the visit became special because the legendary Don Bradman stepped off the ship and played a day of cricket there, decades before Sri Lanka gained international status. Nearly a century later, India’s trip to Japan has created a similar moment.

The Indian T20I squad, fresh from their status as world champions, have travelled to Sano for a one-off T20I against Japan while preparing for the Asian Games. For Japan, facing India offers an opportunity to experience elite international cricket from close range. Japan already have international status under the ICC’s T20I structure, which has helped expand the game among member nations. However, the team remains some distance from the established cricketing nations in terms of experience and exposure.

That gap does not take away from Japan’s progress. The team enjoyed a memorable year by defeating Papua New Guinea in the Super Six stage of the T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifiers. Papua New Guinea had previously appeared in two T20 World Cups and eventually went on to win the qualifying tournament.

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The India game now gives Japan’s players a chance to observe the world champions at close quarters, from preparation and tactics to technique and match-day routines. A competitive performance against India could make the occasion even more memorable for Japanese cricket. One player expected to attract considerable attention is Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming.

The 30-year-old, who has a Japanese mother and Australian father, is the team’s leading international run-scorer. He also holds the record for the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 cricket, having combined with Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake during Japan’s 258 for no loss against China in 2024. For Kadowaki-Fleming, facing Jasprit Bumrah will be a major challenge but also a rare opportunity. India are keen to manage Bumrah’s workload while giving him valuable game time, making the contest a memorable experience for Japan’s leading batter.

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With the landmark India-Japan clash scheduled for September 22, the local authorities will be hoping the weather improves enough to allow a full game.

Japan’s preparations for their historic T20I against India have been disrupted by heavy rain in Sano, raising concerns over the condition of the drainage facilities at the venue. The downpour forced India to cancel their training session, while Japan’s previous match against Hong Kong on September 20 was also abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Japan

Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming also made an interesting batting adjustment in the opening match against Hong Kong, moving himself down to No. 3. It remains to be seen whether he retains that position against India.

Probable XI: Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (capt.), Benjamin Ito-Davis, Charlie Hara-Hinze, Ibrahim Takahashi, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Wataru Miyauchi (wk), Declan Suzuki, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater

India

Meanwhile, India’s team combination will be worth watching. Under Gautam Gambhir, India often fielded three allrounders, giving them additional batting depth at No. 8. VVS Laxman, who preferred four specialist bowlers during the Zimbabwe series, returns as head coach for the Japan tour, adding another selection angle.

Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (capt.), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah