India‘s upcoming clash against Japan on September 22 at the Sano International Ground is already attracting significant attention, with the Asian Games 2026 taking place around the same period. While India will enter the contest with plenty of cricketing experience and several high-profile players, Japan skipper Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming is looking forward to the occasion and expects strong support for the Indian side at the venue.

Kadowaki-Fleming also shared his thoughts on the prospect of facing India’s explosive young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The Japan captain pointed to a previous encounter between Sooryavanshi and Japanese 17-year-old left-arm spinner Charlie Hara-Hinze.

Japan Captain reveals plan for Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Kadowaki-Fleming believes Japan can rely on Hara-Hinze once again after the 17-year-old spinner dismissed Suryavanshi during the Under-19 Asia Cup in 2024. The two players met in a One-Day game in Sharjah, where Sooryavanshi made 23 runs from 23 deliveries. The Indian opener struck three fours and a six during his brief stay at the crease before Hara-Hinze removed him in the eighth over.

That previous battle appears to have given Japan plenty of confidence ahead of the upcoming contest. Speaking on Wisden’s The Scoop, Kadowaki-Fleming specifically mentioned the young spinner when discussing how his team plans to handle Sooryavanshi.

“Well, our young 17-year-old left-arm spinner has actually got him out before in an Asia Cup at Under-19 level, so we’ve got him sorted. Don’t worry,” Kadowaki-Fleming said.

His comments suggest that Hara-Hinze could once again have an important role to play if Sooryavanshi opens the innings for India.  For Japan, the fact that its teenage spinner has already dismissed the Indian opener could offer additional belief when the two sides meet in Sano.

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Japan expect huge support for India

The match is also expected to draw a crowd far larger than the Sano International Ground normally accommodates. Japan’s captain revealed that the venue’s regular stands can hold around 500 spectators, while organisers are reportedly working on temporary stands ahead of the fixture.

The expected attendance could reach between 2,000 and 3,000, with many supporters likely to travel from Tokyo and other parts of Japan to watch the Indian team.

Kadowaki-Fleming expects the occasion to require additional security and logistical arrangements, particularly because of the popularity of India’s players.

He admitted that the prospect of India playing Japan itself feels surreal, but said he was eagerly anticipating the contest. With the hosts preparing for an unprecedented occasion, their captain will hope the plan involving Hara-Hinze can once again work against Sooryavanshi when the two teams meet on September 22.

“These Indian players are A-list celebrities, and I think we’ll have plenty of supporters – Indian supporters of cricket – coming from Tokyo and everywhere around the country. So there’s going to be plenty of security and probably logistical measures that we haven’t experienced in Japan before. But, yeah, I mean, I don’t know what to expect. Even hearing you talk about India playing a cricket match against Japan sounds surreal. I can’t wait,” added Kadowaki-Fleming.

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