Impressed by Japan’s cricket lesson, Sachin Tendulkar praises special guide for fans
India finally opened their account for the 2026 Asian Games gold medal on Tuesday, with Harmanpreet Kaur’s side beating Sri Lanka by 147 runs to retain the women’s cricket title. On the same day, Sachin Tendulkar reflected on Japan’s growing interest in the sport and praised the simple efforts made to help local audiences understand cricket after a memorable day involving India and Japan.
India dominated the women’s final at Korogi Sports Parkmaking it 216/3 before bowling out Sri Lanka for 69. Smriti Mandhana led the scoring with 79 off 45 balls, Shafali Verma hit 48 and Richa Ghosh finished unbeaten on 49 off 22 as India secured the Asian Games gold medals.
Japan vs India One-off T20I: Scorecard | Highlighting
Tendulkar’s post on X focused on Men’s India-Japan T20I in Sano, where spectators were given cricket counters at the entrance. Illustrated guides explained the basic rules of the game and made it easier for fans new to cricket to follow the game.
“There is something very special about watching cricket find new homes,” Tendulkar wrote.
“Seeing India play Japan is amazing in itself, but what made me laugh was seeing the audience at the entrance being given counters to understand the game better.
JAPAN’S FIRST CRICKET STEPS
The Japanese women’s team has already started their Asian Games campaign against India on September 18 in their first appearance at the Games. India bowled them out for 57 before chasing down the target in just five overs to win by eight wickets.
Meanwhile, Japan’s men’s Asian Games campaign has only just begun. Their encounter with India in Sano was a separate one-off T20I, giving the hosts a chance to take on one of cricket’s biggest teams before their men’s competition at the Games begins.
The match was reduced to five overs a side after rain, but Japan gave India a real scare. The Indian batsmen struggled against the hosts’ disciplined bowling and were restricted to 32/4, with Shreyas Iyer making 16. Japan then needed eight runs from the final over but could only manage five as India narrowly won by two runs.
The result was particularly encouraging for Japan, who pushed India deep into the competition despite the huge difference in experience between the two sides.
“We’ve all had our first cricket match. It’s great to see more people getting theirs,” Tendulkar added.
He also acknowledged the Japanese side for accepting the challenge.
“Thanks to the Japanese team for accepting the challenge and fighting,” he wrote.
INDIA COMPLETE GOLD DEFENSE
The Indian women’s team has been impressive during the Asian Games campaign. Shafali hit an unbeaten century in the semi-final against Bangladesh to set up another final against Sri Lanka, the same opponents India defeated in the 2023 Hangzhou final.
Mandhana and Shafali then gave India a strong start to the title race, adding 99 for the first wicket. Mandhana’s 79 took her past 11,000 international runs as Richa’s late strike took India to 216/3.
Sri Lanka never found their footing in the chase. Deepti Sharma claimed three wickets as the Indian bowlers kept making inroads and eventually dismissed Sri Lanka for 69.
The 147-run win gave Harmanpreet’s team their first gold medal of the Nagoya Games and another women’s cricket title. For Japan, meanwhile, the India Games offered two very different outcomes, but both provided valuable exposure as the country continues to build its cricket base.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
22 Sep 2026 16:58 IST