Japan to host India in historic T20 match — The National
Japan’s national team will play India on Tuesday in a T20 match at the Sano International Cricket Ground in the city of Sano, Japan. The Suzuki Cup fixture will be the first international match between the countries and preparation for the Indian team ahead of the cricket tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, The National reports.
Japan ranks 41st in the world rankings among 93 teams with ranking points. India are two-time T20 world champions, but recently dropped to second place in the ICC rankings, allowing England to move ahead.
Temporary venue in Sano
The match will be held at a temporarily equipped venue in Sano. Soil from the city was used for the main cricket stadium where matches will take place in Nagoya. Temporary stands increased the venue’s capacity to about 2,000 spectators.
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According to the publication, teams with a larger gap in the rankings had not previously met in international bilateral matches. Japan all-rounder Benjamin Ito-Davis said the team wants to demonstrate its ability to compete with India while maintaining fair and respectful play.
India’s busy schedule
India named a strong squad for the match led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. The squad also includes Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, among others.
India’s training session on the eve of the match was cancelled because of rain and storm conditions caused by Typhoon Dujuan. At the same time as the Asian Games, other Indian players will compete in the India A team’s series against Australia, as well as in other competitions. In total, 69 athletes are expected to play for five Indian representative teams in different formats.
