'I never imagined…': Bihar-born Japan cricketer Abhishek Anand on historic India clash
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'I never imagined…': Bihar-born Japan cricketer Abhishek Anand on historic India clash")
Captains Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Shreyas Iyer pose with the trophy Photograph: (X/@BCCI)
Bihar-born cricketer Abhishek Anand will represent Japan against India in a historic T20I, capping his journey from playing cricket in Bihar to earning a place in Japan’s national team.
Ahead of India’s historic clash against Japan, Bihar-born cricketer Abhishek Anand is set to face his home country after an unusual journey from IIT Kanpur to the Japan national cricket team. Anand said he feels grateful to be following his passion and never expected to get the chance to play against India so early in his career.
Japan will host India in a historic one-off T20I on Tuesday. The Suzuki Cup match will help both teams prepare for the men’s cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games.
“I often reflect on the fact that I’m following my passion, and I hope that one day I’ll get the chance to play against India. I never imagined I’d get the chance to play against India so soon,” Anand told ANI.
The match is also part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, making the occasion even more special.
Anand’s cricket journey began with tennis-ball cricket in Bihar. However, at his parents’ insistence, he focused on his studies and pursued IT at IIT Kanpur. The 28-year-old, who is from Bihar’s Rohtas district, later moved to Japan after getting a job through campus placement.
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After arriving in Japan, Anand joined the Tokyo Falcons Cricket Club and his consistent performances eventually earned him a place in the national team.
“My journey started with short-ball cricket in Bihar during my childhood. At the same time, my parents wanted me to pursue a career in a professional field, so I studied IT. After entering the IT sector, I began playing professionally with a leather ball and started taking the sport seriously. During my final year, I received a job offer from a Japanese company through campus placement. I decided to move to Japan and explore cricketing opportunities there; that’s how my journey from Bihar to Japan began. Once there, I joined a local club, the Tokyo Falcons Cricket Club, and performed consistently. Eventually, I was called up to the Japanese national team. So, in short, that’s how my journey unfolded,” he added.