Earlier in September, the Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the men’s teams from each nation will play a T20 International match to launch the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations.
Ahead of India’s landmark one-off T20I against Japan ahead of the Asian Games 2026 campaign, Japan all-rounder Benjamin Ito-Davis aims to show “Japanese spirit” against the reigning T20 champions, while Jake Kusuda-Nairn wants the prized scalp of rising teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi .
Speaking ahead of the match, all-rounder Ito-Davis, who has scored 263 runs in 25 T20Is and 20 innings at an average of 16.43 and picked 31 wickets with best figures of 3/8, expressed his excitement for the clash, saying that he wants to take up the challenge and showcase the Japanese spirit and way of cricket against the T20I giants.
“I cannot wait to just get out there, take on the challenge, and I am really looking forward to it,” all-rounder Benjamin Ito-Davis told ICC Digital as quoted by ICC. “A chance to promote the game even more (in Japan) is my goal,” he signed off.
Sooryavanshi is a well-known face to Japanese players as he fell for 23 runs to Charlie Hara-Hinze during the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Asia Cup back in 2024.
Kusuda Nairn said that the success of Japanese cricket across all levels and growth over the last couple of years has been incredible, and the media following has been really positive. “Even from a couple of years ago, the growth has been incredible,” said the all-rounder. “To represent Japan on the global stage and promote cricket in Japan is something I am really honoured and proud to do. As a team, we want to show that we can compete against a team like India and show that Japan spirit, the Japan way, but also play in a fair and respectful way,” he added.
