Japan’s captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming reflected on an intense five-over T20I against India at Sano on September 22, 2026, where his team came within one delivery of a historic upset. India scored 32 for 4 in their five overs, and Japan replied with 30 for 3, losing by 2 runs in what marked the first-ever men’s international cricket meeting between the two nations under the Suzuki Cup banner. Kadowaki-Fleming himself was Japan’s highest scorer in the chase, making 12 off 12 from the top of the order before falling on the final delivery of the fourth over, leaving Japan needing nine runs from the final over.
The rain-shortened contest tested both teams on a challenging Sano wicket, but Japan’s performance against world-class opposition left a lasting impression on their captain. Speaking after the match, Kadowaki-Fleming acknowledged the emotional toll of coming so close to an upset.
“I’ve been saying to a few other guys that when [the game] gets that close, [the loss is] actually a little bit tougher to take and the emotions are running pretty high in our group. But the fact that we were able to run the best team in the world, in my opinion, to the last ball of a game is pretty special,” said Kadowaki-Fleming as quoted by Cricinfo.
“I’m sure there will be a couple of moments that replay through our minds on the long bus road now to nowhere but, yeah, it’s a feeling of pride at the moment,” he added.
Japan’s bowling attack proved particularly effective against India’s batting lineup. Left-arm spinner Charlie Hara-Hinze delivered a standout performance, taking 2 for 17 from his two overs. The 17-year-old, who played in the Under-19 World Cup last year and has featured in 38 T20Is for Japan, demonstrated his quality against experienced opposition. When the two had faced off at the Under-19 World Cup, Hara-Hinze had dismissed India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a run-a-ball 23.
Why the wide reversal in Japan vs India was correct
India’s spinners and the final over drama
The final over brought dramatic moments when umpires overturned a wide call on Axar Patel’s delivery. Axar’s previous delivery had been well down the leg side and was called wide, but the next one, also missing leg but much closer to the batter who was attempting a reverse sweep, was first given wide and then overturned following queries from the India players. Had the wide call stood, Japan’s requirement would have come down to six needed off four deliveries.
Kadowaki-Fleming acknowledged the challenge posed by India’s world-class spin attack and the pressure of chasing on a difficult surface.
“They’ve got some world-class spinners, Axar [Patel], Washington [Sundar] and Ravi Bishnoi bowling. On our Sano wicket, we knew it was going to be an extreme challenge but at [a required run-rate of] six-and-a-half, your mind does sort of wander and think you get a couple out of the middle and you never know,” said Kadowaki-Fleming.
Japan faced a quick turnaround with a 36-hour gap before their next Asian Games fixture. The team was scheduled to play Afghanistan on September 24 and Nepal on September 26, both at Nisshin.
