Japan have announced their 15-member squad for their historic men’s T20I against India, with captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming set to lead the side in the one-off encounter at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture on September 22.
The match will mark the first-ever international cricket meeting between India and Japan. Kadowaki-Fleming, Japan’s all-time leading T20I run-scorer, will captain the team. Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alex Shirai-Patmore, Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama and Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake. The squad has been selected with the Asian Games in mind. Japan have left out players who are eligible to play T20Is under ICC regulations but do not meet the eligibility requirements for the Asian Games. Among the notable inclusions is emerging spin-bowling all-rounder Jake Kusuda-Nairn, who earned his place after impressing in domestic cricket. Veteran Tsuyoshi Takada has also returned to the squad. The squad also features players who have come through Japan’s school cricket programmes. Wataru Miyauchi and Makoto Taniyama are among the players with backgrounds in Japanese schools that run cricket ‘Bukatsu’ programmes. Following the India clash, Japan will turn their attention to the Asian Games. The initiative aims to promote sporting exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. India, meanwhile, will use the fixture as part of their preparations for the men’s cricket event at the Asian Games, where they are the defending champions.
Because of a hand injury, spinner Benjamin Ito-Davis has also returned after his East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2028 Sub-Regional Qualifier campaign was cut short. India enter the contest as the reigning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions and the No.1-ranked side in the format. The Japan squad selected for the India fixture is the same group that will represent the country at the 2026 Asian Games, which begin in Nagoya shortly after the T20I. Japan’s men’s cricket campaign at the Asian Games gets underway on September 24. He will be joined by experienced campaigners Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb, who have also featured in more than 50 T20Is for Japan. Takada first represented Japan at the ICC East Asia-Pacific Twenty20 Championship in 2013. Japan finished second in that qualifying tournament and remain in contention for qualification for the 2028 T20 World Cup. They finished level on points with Papua New Guinea but were behind the Barramundas on net run rate despite defeating them by 26 runs in their final match. The India T20I will be part of an important stretch for Japan, with the team also scheduled to play two T20Is against Hong Kong on September 19 and 20. They are scheduled to face Afghanistan on September 24 and Nepal on September 26, with a top-two finish required to advance to the quarter-finals. The historic India-Japan fixture is also connected to the ‘Sport 75’ initiative, which stems from an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For Japan, the September 22 encounter provides an opportunity to test themselves against the reigning T20 World Cup champions before beginning their Asian Games campaign.
Taniyama, a leg-spinner, has developed his bowling action after watching videos of Australian great Shane Warne. He featured in Japan’s nine-wicket victory over Tanzania during the tournament. He wears jersey number 23 in tribute to Warne and is Japan’s leading wicket-taker across pathway and international competitions, according to the ICC. Charlie Hara-Hinze is another player to watch after being part of Japan’s squad at the 2026 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.
