From Mumbai maidans to coaching Japan: Vinay Iyer’s cricket journey comes to a close
Vinay Iyer once dreamed of playing at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai alongside the likes of Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara. On Friday, the former Mumbai cricketer will instead be in the dugout coaching Japan against India at the Asian Games.
The 41-year-old is the head coach of the Japanese women’s cricket team and has completed an unlikely journey that began in Mumbai on the maidans and took him to Japan during his professional career.
“It will definitely be a great occasion. Everyone is excited and hopefully we can give them a good match,” Vinay told the Japan Cricket Association’s YouTube channel.
Iyer moved to Japan in 2013 on a work visa through his employer, diamond trading company Rosy Blue. More than a decade later, his cricketing journey has taken him to one of the biggest stages of his career.
Yet his connection with Mumbai remains strong.
“I always dreamed of playing at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai one day. Finally I got a chance. I was selected to play in the under-19 zone (West Zone) and the opposition was Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma.
“They were in the Under-17 category then. Even then people were saying that Pujara was going to be the next Rahul Dravid. The way he batted, it was like I had so many things to learn from that guy. He was smacking everybody.”
“Even Rohit was hitting and used to hit sixes in front of the stadium. So that was one highlight match that I really remember. I’m glad I got to play against those two guys,” recalled Vinay.
FROM MUMBAI MAIDANS TO JAPAN
Iyer credits Mumbai’s maidans for laying the foundations of his cricket career.
“Where I started near my home was called Central Maidan. It’s a bit far from proper Mumbai. Then we moved to proper Maidans in Mumbai.”
“Then I played for different clubs, different tournaments like Kanga League, different coaches etc. But back then, everything for me was in those maidans,” he said.
His move to Japan did not mean the end of his playing career. Instead, she opened a new chapter.
Iyer enjoyed an excellent season in the Japan Cricket League with Max CC, winning the Player of the Year award in 2016. He won the Tokai Regional Japan Cup with the Kawasaki Knight Riders in 2020 and was named the MVP of the Japanese Premier League the following year.
Coaching soon became the next step in his cricketing journey.
“SEVERAL CHALLENGE”
Developing cricket in Japan brought a different set of challenges, with Iyer having to work with limited facilities and fewer opportunities for regular camps.
“There have been some challenges. A lot of cricket here is still played on mat wickets and regular camps are still rare. But the kids here train with enthusiasm and are ready to come to the ground very early in the morning, like 6am.”
“They don’t have a lot of facilities, but everyone is happy and excited. That’s what you look forward to as a coach,” he said.
Iyer has also settled in Japan, although he admits he hasn’t developed a taste for one of the country’s most famous foods.
“Yes, the people and the food here. It’s very nice. If anyone comes to Japan, I tell them to visit Mount Fuji. It’s quite beautiful.”
“Yakitori is my favorite food, but I haven’t found a taste for sushi yet. I know that’s not a nice answer. A lot of people love it, but I don’t like it.”
However, one Japanese word became central to his life.
“But we use the word Gambaro (in Japanese, let’s do our best) quite often on the cricket field and it has been the motto of my life even here in Japan,” he said.
Now Iyer will have an opportunity to put that motto into practice when Japan take on star-studded India in the women’s quarter-finals at the Asian Games.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
17 Sep 2026 22:41 IST