India face Japan on September 22 at Sano International Ground, with attention building as the Asian Games 2026 approaches. Although India will arrive with extensive cricketing experience and several high-profile players, Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming is embracing the challenge and expects strong support for the visitors.
Kadowaki-Fleming also discussed the prospect of facing India’s explosive young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, pointing to a previous encounter between the batter and Japan’s 17-year-old left-arm spinner Charlie Hara-Hinze.
Japan plan to repeat Hara-Hinze success against Suryavanshi
Kadowaki-Fleming believes Hara-Hinze can play a key role again after dismissing Suryavanshi during the Under-19 Asia Cup in 2024. The two met in a one-day fixture in Sharjah, where Suryavanshi scored 23 runs from 23 balls before Hara-Hinze removed him in the eighth over.
That earlier success appears to have given Japan confidence ahead of the upcoming match. Speaking to Wisden’s The Scoop, Kadowaki-Fleming specifically identified the teenage spinner as part of his team’s approach to containing Suryavanshi.
“Well, our young 17-year-old left-arm spinner has actually got him out before in an Asia Cup at Under-19 level, so we’ve got him sorted. Don’t worry,” Kadowaki-Fleming said.
The comments suggest that Hara-Hinze could again be central to Japan’s plans if Suryavanshi opens the innings. The teenager’s previous success against the Indian batter may provide the hosts with added confidence when the teams meet in Sano.
Japan expects strong support for India
The match is also expected to attract a much larger crowd than Sano International Ground usually accommodates. Kadowaki-Fleming revealed that the venue’s permanent stands hold approximately 500 spectators, while organisers are reportedly preparing temporary seating for the fixture.
Attendance could reach between 2,000 and 3,000, with many fans likely to travel from Tokyo and other parts of Japan to watch India.
Kadowaki-Fleming expects the occasion to require enhanced security and logistical arrangements, particularly because of the popularity of India’s players.
Although he admitted that the idea of India playing Japan feels surreal, the Japan captain said he is eager for the contest. As his team prepares for an unprecedented event, Kadowaki-Fleming will hope that the plan involving Hara-Hinze can succeed against Suryavanshi on September 22.
“These Indian players are A-list celebrities, and I think we’ll have plenty of supporters – Indian supporters of cricket – coming from Tokyo and everywhere around the country. So there’s going to be plenty of security and probably logistical measures that we haven’t experienced in Japan before. But, yeah, I mean, I don’t know what to expect. Even hearing you talk about India playing a cricket match against Japan sounds surreal. I can’t wait,” Kadowaki-Fleming added.