Published on: Sep 8, 2026 6:16 pm IST|Updated on: Sep 8, 2026 6:17 pm IST
The Japan Cricket Association has officially announced its 15-man squad to host the multiple-time T20 World Champions India on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture. This would be the first-ever meeting between the two nations in cricket across formats.
Regular skipper and all-time leading T20I run-scorer Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming will once again captain the Japanese side in the India vs Japan game. The 15-man squad is identical to the group selected for Japan’s home Asian Games campaign, which kicks off two days later in Nagoya.
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The Japan Cricket Association has announced an identical squad to ensure seamless preparation for the multi-sport event on home soil. The selectors decided not to pick players who are eligible to play T20Is under ICC regulations but ineligible under Asian Games rules. This specific criterion heavily influenced the squad’s final composition.
Kadowaki-Fleming leads an experienced core alongside Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb, the only other players in the lineup with more than 50 T20I appearances. The squad also features emerging talent and notable returns. Spin-bowling all-rounder Jake Kusuda-Nairn has earned his first senior call-up following stellar domestic performances. Meanwhile, veteran Tsuyoshi Takada returns to the national setup, having first represented Japan way back at the 2013 ICC East Asia-Pacific Twenty20 Championship.
Leg-spinner Makoto Taniyama, Japan’s leading wicket-taker across pathway and international cricket, keeps his place in the squad. He wears jersey number 23 as a tribute to Shane Warne, whose bowling videos he famously studied on YouTube to hone his skills. Both Taniyama and wicketkeeper Wataru Miyauchi are products of Japanese high school Bukatsu (extracurricular club) cricket development programs.
Spinner Benjamin Ito-Davis returns after recovering from a hand injury, while young batter Charlie Hara-Hinze retains his place following his impressive outings with the Japan U19 team. Check out the full squad below.
Japan Squad: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (C), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Wataru Miyauchi (WK), Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alex Shirai-Patmore (WK), Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi.
Played for the Suzuki Cup, the fixture holds immense diplomatic and cultural weight. The match launches “Sport 75,” a bilateral initiative commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan. The program aims to boost athletic cooperation, supporting India’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games.
One of India’s leading digital sports streaming platforms, Fancode, has bagged the live streaming rights for the one-off T20I between India and Japan. The TV rights have been bagged by Star Sports channels owned by the JioStar network.
Team India is yet to announce their squad for this fixture. However, it is expected that the former T20 World Champions will keep the same squad for this fixture, which was announced for the 2026 Asian Games. Take a look at Team India’s 2026 Asian Games Squad.
2026 Asian Games Squad of Team India: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.