Kadowaki-Fleming Hopes India T20I Can Spark Cricket’s Growth in Japan

 Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming believes the upcoming one-off T20I against India could mark the beginning of a new chapter for cricket in the country.

India are set to travel to Japan for the first men’s international cricket match between the two nations, with the historic T20I scheduled to be played in Sano on September 22. For Japan, however, the occasion is about more than simply making history.

“As exciting as the occasion will be of playing India, we're not there to just celebrate the occasion. We're there to show what we can do as a men's team,” Kadowaki-Fleming told PTI.

The Japan skipper acknowledged the strength of the Indian side, which boasts world-class players across batting, fast bowling and spin. He said the opportunity to compete against a top Full Member nation could provide valuable experience for Japanese cricket.

“Obviously, a team like India have all bases covered, whether it's fast bowling, batting or spin. So it's just going to be great to be able to watch world-class players and the best team in the world in that format go about it,” he said.

Kadowaki-Fleming hopes the fixture will be the first of many opportunities for Japan to compete against the world’s leading cricket nations.

“Hopefully this is the first step in a long history of playing against and competing against Full-Member countries,” he added.

The India-Japan fixture comes during an important period for cricket in Japan, with Afghanistan and Nepal also scheduled to play in the country. The Asian Games will further add to the cricketing spotlight, with the women’s competition beginning before the men’s event gets underway on September 24.

“It’s very exciting,” Kadowaki-Fleming said. “And I think a massive development for cricket in Japan to have countries like Afghanistan and Nepal coming here is something that we probably would have thought was very difficult to manage even a couple of years ago.”

Young Japan allrounder excited to face India

Japan’s 17-year-old spin-bowling allrounder Charlie Hara-Hinze is also looking forward to the historic contest. He already has some experience facing Indian youngsters, having encountered players such as Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the 2024 Under-19 Asia Cup.

Reflecting on that experience, Hara-Hinze said the matches provided Japan’s players with an opportunity to understand the standards required at the highest level.

“That was a game we definitely went into with a lot of excitement,” he said. “We got a lot out of it in terms of bowling to these guys, seeing first-hand how good they are and the standard at which they played. You had very little margin for error as well.”

The teenager admitted that the prospect of India’s senior team travelling to Japan still feels surreal.

“The Indian cricket team coming to Japan to face us was something that doesn't sound real to many people and still probably hasn't quite sunk in,” Hara-Hinze said.

India series could help cricket break into Japan

Cricket remains a niche sport in Japan, where baseball dominates the sporting landscape. Kadowaki-Fleming believes the arrival of high-profile international teams could help expose more Japanese youngsters to the game.

Japan may still be some distance from producing a global cricket superstar comparable to baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani, but the captain believes the process has to start somewhere.

“We're obviously a long way from producing cricket's version of Shohei Ohtani, but someone has to be the first, right,” Kadowaki-Fleming said.

He added that even a small increase in interest among children watching the matches could represent a major success for the sport.

“Even if a small amount of the kids that are watching cricket on TV during that time then want to go and pick up a cricket bat or sign up with a cricket club in Japan and play for the first time, then I feel like that’s a success in itself,” he said.

Hara-Hinze also believes Japan has significant long-term potential as a cricketing nation, provided the sport receives greater investment in facilities and sponsorship.

“Cricket, it is growing, but at a very slow rate,” he said. “I can’t see a reason why in 20-30 years, we can’t be like Nepal or Afghanistan. I think there’s definitely a potential for a very large cricketing market in Japan.”

With India’s visit offering Japan a rare opportunity to share the field with one of cricket’s biggest powers, the September 22 T20I could become an important milestone—not only for the national team, but also for the future growth of the sport across Japan.