India vs Japan T20I Live Streaming: Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play in historic match?
India and Japan will meet for the first time in a T20I when they square off in Sano on Tuesday, September 22, in a landmark match celebrating the growing ties between the two countries. The Suzuki Cup clash will also serve as a warm-up for both teams ahead of the men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games.
India could give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an opportunity in the one-off T20I against Japan. If that happens, it would be another significant moment in the 15-year-old’s remarkable rise.
Sooryavanshi did not get an opportunity in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. He was player of the series on India’s tour of Zimbabwe and also performed well in the Duleep Trophy, but remained on the bench for all three matches against Afghanistan.
This was against expectations as several fans and pundits were hoping that Sooryavanshi would get his chance at home against Afghanistan.
Instead, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened in all the three matches. Samson, who returned to the side, seized his opportunity to hit two fifties while Abhishek found form again after a quiet tour of Great Britain. The lefty smashed a A 30-ball hundred in the T20I final after hitting a 32-ball 82 in the first match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
For questions about selection said head coach Gautam Gambhir was clear about going back to Samson and Abhishek as India’s opening pair – the duo that helped the team win the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
“I think Samson has shown what he’s capable of. You don’t become player of the tournament at the World Cup without talent, so he’s done enough. Obviously it was difficult – probably the hardest decision I’ve made in my coaching career – to leave him out of that England series because of the way he performed,” Gambhir said.
He also made it clear that Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunity.
“From Vaibhav’s point of view, again, it’s a very clear conversation that he has to wait for his opportunity. We know the kind of talent he has. We know what he can do. But again, someone who has done extremely well for a number of years is obviously always going to be ahead of someone who has made the team. Whenever he gets that opportunity, you will also have a longer run,” Gambhir said.
Whether Sooryavanshi will get that chance against Japan remains to be seen.
Gambhir did not travel with the team for the one-off T20Is or the Asian Games, instead VVS Laxman, head of the Center of Excellence, is accompanying the team.
INDIA VS JAPAN: MORE THAN CRICKET
On paper, India and Japan are worlds apart. India are the reigning T20 World Cup champions while Japan are ranked 41st in the world. But for Japanese cricket, Tuesday’s Suzuki Cup match is about much more than just the result.
The match gives Japanese players a chance to share the field with some of the sport’s biggest names, while also putting cricket in front of a wider audience in a baseball-dominated country. With cricket also featuring in the ongoing Asian Games, the sport has yet another opportunity to make an impact.
Japan Cricket Association COO Alan Curr said the match in India had already generated considerable interest. “The fact that India has agreed to come… I think the success is already here,” he told PTI.
The match will be played at the 2,000-capacity Sano International Cricket Ground, about 100 km from Tokyo. Japan’s leading T20 run-scorer Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming will captain the team in the match, which is also part of ‘Sport 75’, an initiative to promote exchanges between India and Japan.
When and where will India vs Japan T20I be played?
The one-off T20I will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground, about 100 km from Tokyo. The match is scheduled to start on Tuesday, September 22 at 9:30 AM local time (1:00 PM IST).
Where can I watch India vs Japan T20I online?
Japan vs India T20I will be streamed live on FanCode.
Where can I watch India vs Japan T20I on TV?
The T20I will be telecast live on Star Sports network.
Will rain affect India vs Japan T20I match in Sano?
The weather could be a concern, especially with wet weather expected ahead of the game. Monday is forecast to be particularly wet, while Tuesday morning is expected to be mostly dry around the scheduled start, although showers and thunderstorms remain a possibility. Rain could also leave the Sano pitch soft and slow, which could affect playing conditions.
Indian Section
Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Vipraj Nigam, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Japanese team
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Shirai Patmore (wk), Alester Fleming, Benjamin Ito Davis, Reo Sakurano Thomas, Kohei Kubota, Wataru Miyauchi, Declan Suzuki, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Tsuyoshi Slaze, Tsuyoshi Slaze, Takma, Tsuyoshi Slaze, Kusuda-Nairn.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
21 Sep 2026 13:07 IST