Sano [Japan], September 8 (ANI): Japan have announced their squad for their historic men's T20I against reigning T20 World Cup champions and world No.1 India, with Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming set to lead the side in the landmark clash at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22.
The squad features the same group selected for Japan's home Asian Games campaign, which begins in Nagoya two days after the India fixture, reported ICC.
Kadowaki-Fleming, Japan's all-time leading T20I run-scorer, will captain the side and will be joined by Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb, the other two members of the squad with more than 50 T20I appearances.
Japan have selected their squad with their Asian Games campaign in mind and have therefore left out players who meet ICC eligibility requirements for T20Is but are not eligible under Asian Games regulations.
That has opened the door for emerging spin-bowling all-rounder Jake Kusuda-Nairn, who earned his place after impressing in domestic cricket. Veteran Tsuyoshi Takada also returns to the squad, having first represented Japan at the ICC East Asia-Pacific Twenty20 Championship in 2013.
The squad includes Wataru Miyauchi and Makoto Taniyama, both products of Japanese schools that have cricket Bukatsu programmes. Taniyama, a leg-spinner who developed his bowling action after watching videos of Australia great Shane Warne, wears jersey number 23 in honour of his idol and is Japan's leading wicket-taker across pathway and international cricket.
Charlie Hara-Hinze, who was part of Japan's Under-19 World Cup side that defeated Tanzania, has also been included, while spinner Benjamin Ito-Davis returns after a hand injury ended his participation in Japan's East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2028 Sub-Regional Qualifier campaign.
Japan finished second in that tournament and remain in contention for qualification for the 2028 T20 World Cup, level on points with Papua New Guinea but behind them on net run rate despite beating the Barramundis in their final match.
The India game will be the first event under "Sport 75", an initiative arising from an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative aims to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between the two countries through sport.
Japan will also face Hong Kong in two T20Is on September 19 and 20 before beginning their Asian Games campaign against Afghanistan on September 24 and Nepal on September 26. They will need to finish in the top two to advance to the quarter-finals.
India's squad for the historic encounter will be led by Shreyas Iyer and includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Japan squad: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi (wk), Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alex Shirai-Patmore (wk), Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake. (ANI)
Japan announce squad for historic T20I against India in Sano
