Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could finally get his T20I opportunity against Japan
Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are expected to lead India’s pace attack
Varun Chakaravarthy is unavailable, with Vipraj Nigam added to the squad as his replacement
India will begin their Japan tour with a historic one-off T20I against the hosts at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22. Captain Shreyas Iyer and the team management face an interesting selection call, with the match also serving as preparation for India’s Asian Games campaign.
The fixture will be the first senior men’s international cricket meeting between India and Japan.
Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Finally Make His T20I Return?
The biggest question ahead of the one-off T20I is whether India will hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his long-awaited opportunity. The 15-year-old was part of the squad for the Afghanistan series but did not feature in any of the three matches. India’s opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson was retained throughout the series, with Abhishek finishing as one of the standout performers.
With India playing only one T20I before their Asian Games campaign, Sooryavanshi could be given an opportunity to open alongside Abhishek. If Samson gets replaced by the 15-year-old, Ishan Kishan will remain the wicketkeeping option, while Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma are expected to provide stability in the middle order. Shivam Dube and Axar Patel add further all-round depth.
A possible batting order could see Abhishek open with Sooryavanshi, followed by Ishan Kishan, Shreyas, Tilak and Dube, although the management could also retain Samson at the top.
Bumrah, Arshdeep Set To Lead Bowling Attack
India are also likely to field a strong bowling unit despite the fixture being primarily a preparation game. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh could lead the pace attack, while Ravi Bishnoi is expected to handle the specialist spin duties. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel provide additional spin options and batting depth.
Varun Chakaravarthy will not be available after being ruled out with a side strain, with Vipraj Nigam brought into the squad as his replacement. Yash Thakur is another pace option in the group, but India could prefer experience against Japan while also giving selected players valuable game time ahead of the Asian Games.
India’s predicted playing XI vs Japan: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
