Shreyas Iyer became the first captain from a Full Member side to elect to bat first in a five-overs-a-side T20I when India won the toss against Japan in the historic one-off contest at the Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday.The unusual decision came after rain and a wet outfield delayed the toss, originally scheduled for 9am IST, and forced the match to be reduced to five overs per side.With every ball carrying even greater significance in the shortened contest, Iyer opted to put India in to bat first, creating a unique statistical entry in T20I cricket.The match itself is a landmark occasion, with India facing Japan for the first time in men’s T20I cricket. It is also part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan. The game serves as the opening event of “Sport 75”, an initiative designed to encourage sporting exchanges and greater cooperation between the two countries.India’s first meeting with Japan adds another entry to an impressive record against new opposition.The Indian team have won 16 of their 19 matches in their first-ever meeting against an opponent. Their only defeats in such encounters came against New Zealand and West Indies, while their match against Scotland ended without a result.No other Full Member side has a better record than India in its inaugural meeting against a new opponent.India will be hoping that record remains intact in a contest that has been reduced dramatically because of the weather.India made a couple of notable selection calls for the shortened game. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi missed out once again, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma retaining their places at the top of the order. Both batters enter the match in outstanding form.Samson has struck back-to-back fifties, while Abhishek comes into the game after producing a stunning 30-ball century against Afghanistan. That hundred was the fastest T20I century by a batter from a Full Member nation.India have also opted to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the Japan encounter, with Yash Thakur coming into the playing XI.The match is India’s only T20I before the men’s team head to the Asian Games as defending champions, adding further significance to an already unusual contest.India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep SinghJapan (Playing XI): Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming(c), Benjamin Ito-Davis, Wataru Miyauchi, Alexander Shirai-Patmore(w), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Ibrahim Takahashi, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater
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Vikrant Kharwar is the Founder and Editor of News Us Media. He writes about trending news, sports, entertainment, technology, and viral stories. His goal is to make news simple, informative, and easy to understand for readers across the United States and around the world.
