3 areas India should look to improve after narrow win against Japan
India scraped past Japan by just 2 runs in a rain-reduced five-over contest at Sano on September 22, 2026.
1. Fielding and finishing in close finishes
Washington Sundar took wickets to help restrict Japan, and Ishan Kishan contributed a direct-hit run-out. However, Japan's Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming scored 12 off 12 balls and kept his side in the hunt until the final delivery.
The Japanese side, ranked 41st in ICC T20I rankings and in strong form in 2026 with 8 wins from 11 matches, pushed India far closer than expected. India's fielding and finishing under pressure will need to be sharper if they are to progress deep into the Asian Games tournament. India face their 2nd quarter-final at Nisshin on September 28.
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