Archive · 22 Sep 2026
India Edge Japan by Two Runs in Rain-Reduced T20I
India and Japan played a very short cricket match in Sano.
Rain and a wet field delayed the game by nearly two and a half hours.
Each team was allowed to bat for only five overs.
Japan’s bowlers made it difficult for India to score, and India made either 32 or 33 runs, depending on the report.
Shreyas Iyer scored the most runs for India with 16.
Japan then scored 30 runs and came close to winning.
Washington Sundar took two wickets and helped India protect its small lead.
India won by two runs, while Japan’s strong performance gave it encouragement before the Asian Games.
India defeated Japan by two runs in a rain-truncated, five-overs-per-side T20I in Sano.
India was restricted to either 32/4 or 33/4, according to differing reports, after Japan’s spinners exploited the conditions.
Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with 16 from 12 balls, while Sanju Samson made nine.
Japan reached 30/3, led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming’s 12 and Benjamin Ito-Davis’s nine.
Washington Sundar took 2/13, helping India survive a late scare in its reported 200th T20I victory.
- Who
- India and Japan, captained by Shreyas Iyer for India.
- What
- India defeated Japan by two runs in a one-off T20I.
- When
- Tuesday; the match was delayed by nearly two and a half hours because of a wet outfield.
- Where
- Sano International Cricket Stadium, also referred to in one report as the Sano International Cricket Ground.
- Why
- India won after defending a small total, with Washington Sundar taking two wickets and Japan finishing two runs short.
India’s Narrow Victory
Japan’s Encouraging Challenge
Assessment of the result
India’s Narrow Victory
India held its nerve while defending a very small total and secured a two-run win.
Japan’s Encouraging Challenge
Japan came close to producing a major upset and showed promise despite losing.
Batting and bowling conditions
India’s Narrow Victory
India’s batters struggled against Japan’s disciplined spinners and difficult conditions but its bowlers protected the lead.
Japan’s Encouraging Challenge
Japan’s spinners effectively restricted India, while its batters nearly completed the chase of 33.
Controversial fourth-over decision
India’s Narrow Victory
India’s players argued that the batter attempted a reverse sweep, leading the delivery initially called wide to be overturned as legitimate.
Japan’s Encouraging Challenge
The decision was contentious during Japan’s chase and became a notable moment in the hosts’ narrow defeat.
- Match format
- Rain-truncated one-off T20I with five overs per side
- Result
- India beat Japan by two runs
- India score
- Reported as 32/4 in one account and 33/4 in another
- Japan score
- 30/3 in five overs
- Top India scorer
- Shreyas Iyer, 16 off 12 balls
- Best India bowler
- Washington Sundar, 2/13
- Japan’s leading scorer
- Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, 12 runs
- Reported milestone
- The victory was described as India’s 200th T20I win, including Super Over victories
