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Japan announced the same squad that will play at the Asian Games for their historic one-off T20I against world No. 1 India in Sano on September 22, a fixture commemorating 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic ties and stemming from a Modi-Takaichi summit agreement.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming** will captain Japan against India in the September 22 Suzuki Cup T20I in Sano, with the 30-year-old bringing 55 T20I caps, 1,871 runs at a strike rate of 139.41, two hundreds and 12 fifties.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Japan** will field the identical 15-member squad selected for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with the ICC noting players eligible for T20Is under ICC rules but ineligible under Asian Games rules were excluded.

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Japan to field Asian Games squad against India in one-off T20I — SkimNews

By The Hindu · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-08

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Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming will captain Japan against India in the September 22 Suzuki Cup T20I in Sano, with the 30-year-old bringing 55 T20I caps, 1,871 runs at a strike rate of 139.41, two hundreds and 12 fifties.
Japan will field the identical 15-member squad selected for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with the ICC noting players eligible for T20Is under ICC rules but ineligible under Asian Games rules were excluded.
Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb join Kadowaki-Fleming as the only squad members with more than 50 T20I appearances, per the ICC, while the squad also includes wicket-keeper Wataru Miyauchi and leading wicket-taker Makoto Taniyama, a leg-spinner inspired by Shane Warne.
The fixture commemorates the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations and was initiated under an agreement reached at a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi.
Japan will also play two T20Is against Hong Kong on September 19 and 20 before facing Afghanistan on September 24 and Nepal on September 26 in the Asian Games, where they must finish top two in their group to advance to the quarter-finals.
India enter the match as ICC T20 rankings No. 1 and reigning T20 World Cup champions, while Japan sit 41st in the rankings.

Why it matters: The fixture gives Japan, ranked 41st, a rare high-profile match-up against the world's top-ranked side just before their Asian Games campaign, while the Suzuki Cup framing ties the cricket to 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic ties and a direct Modi-Takaichi summit commitment, raising the political stakes beyond a routine warm-up.