Sano, September 2026 : Two-time world champions India survived a dramatic late scare from Japan to register a two-run victory in a rain-affected five-over T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday, recording their 200th win in men’s T20 internationals, including victories secured through Super Overs.
India’s narrow win was among their closest victories in the shortest format. It was only the fourth occasion when India have won a T20I by exactly two runs. Their previous two-run victories came against South Africa in 2012, Bangladesh in 2016 and Sri Lanka in 2023.
The match began after a delay of nearly two-and-a-half hours because of a wet outfield. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat, but Japan’s spinners immediately exploited the difficult conditions and reduced the visitors to 32/4 after five overs.
India struggled to establish any rhythm in the truncated contest. Sanju Samson contributed nine runs from seven deliveries before Abhishek Sharma was dismissed off the first ball without scoring. Ishan Kishan followed after making three runs, while Iyer top-scored with a brisk 16 off 12 balls.
Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on one, while Shivam Dube attempted to attack the final delivery but failed to make contact. India eventually finished on 33/4, leaving Japan a target of 34 runs from their five-over chase.
Charlie Hara-Hinze was Japan’s most successful bowler, claiming two wickets for 17 runs. Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito-Davis picked up one wicket each as Japan’s bowling attack kept India under sustained pressure.
Needing 34 from 30 deliveries, Japan began their chase with determination and pushed India into an unexpectedly tense contest. Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming scored 12, while Ito-Davis added nine as the hosts stayed within touching distance of the target.
India, however, managed to regain control through disciplined bowling. Washington Sundar struck twice to interrupt Japan’s momentum, while Axar Patel bowled with control and experience to restrict the scoring opportunities.
Japan ultimately finished on 30/3 in their allotted five overs, falling just two runs short of what would have been a significant upset. India’s bowlers held their nerve during the closing stages to secure the victory.
The match also produced a contentious moment during the fourth over of Japan’s innings. A delivery was initially called a wide, but the decision was subsequently overturned following an appeal from Axar Patel and Iyer, who argued that the batter had attempted a reverse sweep and therefore the delivery should be considered legitimate.
Despite the defeat, Japan’s performance provided encouragement ahead of the Asian Games, with their bowlers exploiting the conditions effectively and their batters taking the game deep against a strong Indian side.
For India, the result added another milestone to their T20I record, but the unusually low-scoring contest also highlighted the challenges posed by the wet conditions and shortened format.
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).
India won by two runs.
