In January of this year, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Japan’s Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, exchanged gifts related to cricket. Motegi presented Jaishankar with a pink jersey from the Japan national cricket team, while Jaishankar gifted him a bat signed by prominent Indian cricketers.
This exchange marked a significant moment, as the two nations are now preparing to compete in their inaugural bilateral cricket match at the Sano International Cricket Ground, located approximately 100 kilometers from Tokyo, on September 22. The Indian team, captained by Shreyas Iyer, will face off against Japan’s team led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming in a T20 International match.
The upcoming match is part of the festivities celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan. Following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in July, the two countries designated 2027 as the ‘India-Japan Year of Shared Horizons’ to commemorate this significant anniversary.
Naoki Alex Miyaji, CEO of the Japan Cricket Association (JCA), highlighted the importance of this event, stating that it transcended mere efforts to engage a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to attract new fans. “It has now become a pivotal event in the 75th anniversary celebration of our friendship,” he remarked, noting the support received from both governments in facilitating this match.
As a nation predominantly focused on baseball, Japan is eager to expand the reach of cricket. The upcoming T20 International, just before the Asian Games cricket matches, has generated substantial interest among sponsors and spectators. Miyaji mentioned that Suzuki has stepped in as the title sponsor for the event.
While a significant portion of the JCA’s budget is allocated for the India-Japan match, Miyaji emphasized the long-term advantages of hosting the event. “Our annual budget ranges between 200 and 300 million yen, and this match is costing us about 100 million yen. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also been supportive. However, beyond financial aspects, this is about introducing cricket to new audiences and showcasing the capabilities of the Japan team,” he stated.
Japan’s captain Kadowaki-Fleming expressed excitement about the match, saying, “It feels real now. There’s still some disbelief that we’ve managed to organize this game.”
Anticipating a large turnout, the Sano cricket ground’s seating capacity has been expanded from 500 to 2,000. “We started selling tickets around two weeks before the event, and even before we could announce the sale, tickets were flying off the shelves,” Miyaji noted.
To ensure the quality of the cricket pitch, the JCA sought assistance from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), which provided groundsmen and clay for the pitches, not only at Sano but also for the stadium in Nisshin City, Aichi Prefecture, where the Asian Games matches will take place. “We had planned to re-lay the Sano International Cricket Ground, so we expedited that plan and decided to lay pitches in Aichi simultaneously, using the same clay for consistency,” he explained.
Although the Japan team has regularly participated in the ICC Under-19 World Cups, they narrowly missed qualifying for the T20 World Cup held in India earlier this year. However, cricket’s presence is expanding beyond Sano, Japan’s cricket hub. The JCA’s City of Cricket initiative aims to promote the sport in schools and various locations outside Tokyo. This program, which began in Sano over a decade ago, now extends to areas such as Watari, about 300-350 kilometers north of Tokyo, Kaizuka in Osaka, and Nisshin.
Additionally, the JCA has introduced cricket as a subject in select schools in Hamamatsu, the location of Suzuki’s headquarters.
Sabaorish Ravichandran, an all-rounder for Japan originally from Chennai, shared insights on the sport’s growth during his ten years in Japan. “In Japan, everyone has a day job, and no one is paid to play. But on weekends, you can see hundreds heading to Sano for cricket, with some even taking the bullet train to participate. Players like Makoto Taniyama and Wataru Miyauchi, who came through the school cricket system, have relocated just to play,” he said.
To further integrate cricket into Japanese culture, the JCA is encouraging players to learn cricket terminology in Japanese, aiming to present the sport as a local endeavor. “We are developing the ‘Japan way’ of playing cricket, striving to create a distinctly Japanese identity both on and off the field,” Kadowaki-Fleming stated.
He also mentioned the potential for recruiting baseball talent into cricket. “I envision cricket becoming a viable option for school baseball players. Once that materializes, we could see our own cricketing superstar emerge, akin to Shohei Ohtani in baseball, within a few years,” he concluded.
Shuvaditya Bose is a Deputy Copy Editor at the sports desk of The Indian Express.
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