India survived a major scare against Japan to secure a two-run victory in a historic five-over-per-side T20I in Sano on September 22, 2026.
India were restricted to just 32 for 4, with Shreyas Iyer top-scoring with 16 from 12 balls. Japan came remarkably close to chasing the tiny target, finishing on 30 for 3 after Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming scored 12.
The result saw India successfully defend the smallest total in a five-over T20 match, turning what appeared to be a straightforward contest into a dramatic finish.
The match was heavily affected by the playing conditions after rain had disrupted the previous two days. The pitch was extremely slow and offered significant turn, while the outfield also made scoring boundaries difficult. All 10 overs of the match were bowled by spinners, and only four boundaries were hit throughout the contest.
India won the toss and elected to bat, but their innings got off to a disastrous start when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck while attempting a sweep from the first ball he faced.
With the pitch making aggressive batting extremely difficult, Iyer adopted a more cautious approach. He scored 16 from 12 deliveries and provided the majority of India’s runs as Japan’s bowlers kept the Indian batters under pressure.
Japan’s bowlers eventually restricted India to 32 for 4, giving themselves a realistic opportunity of producing one of the biggest upsets in the format.
India’s defence began well when Axar Patel conceded only two runs in the opening over. A close run-out of Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake followed after Ishan Kishan produced a direct hit from deep square leg.
Japan were reduced to 8 for 2 after two overs, but they responded strongly. They scored 10 runs from Ravi Bishnoi’s over and another seven from Washington Sundar’s over to move within eight runs of victory heading into the final over.
Axar was handed the responsibility of defending eight runs, and the final over produced plenty of drama.
Japan appeared to gain valuable runs through leg-side wides, but one of the calls was overturned after New Zealand umpire Chris Brown intervened and consulted with his fellow official. The decision kept India in control of the equation.
Axar maintained his composure on a difficult surface and bowled with remarkable accuracy. Japan could manage only enough runs to finish on 30 for 3, falling two runs short of India’s total.
Axar finished with figures of 2-0-7-0, playing a crucial role in India’s successful defence.
The match was a landmark occasion for Japan, who competed against one of the world’s leading cricket nations and came within two runs of victory despite being set only 33 to win.
For India, the narrow victory demonstrated just how unpredictable cricket can become when unusual conditions and a shortened format come together.
