Rain‑affected contest ends with India edging Japan by a slim margin

A rain‑disrupted T20 International at Sano International Cricket Ground saw India survive a nervous chase to beat Japan by two runs. The match start was delayed by two hours because of heavy showers and a soggy outfield, pushing the officials to shorten the game to five overs per side. Winning the toss, India’s captain Shreyas Iyer opted to set a target, and the side managed 33 runs before the rain halted play. Japan’s innings produced 30 runs in five overs, with three wickets falling and the required run rate slipping beyond reach. The Indian batting order struggled against the spin attack: Abhishek Sharma was out for zero, Sanju Samson contributed nine off seven balls, Ishaan Kishan added three from six, and Iyer compiled 16 runs from twelve balls with one boundary. Tilak Varma stayed not out on one run. The team struck only two fours, no sixes. Japan’s Charlie Hara‑Hinz captured two wickets for 17 runs, while Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito‑David each took one. Japan’s bowlers kept India’s scoring low; Akshar Patel’s opening over yielded just a single run, Washington Sundar’s over gave away six runs and a wicket, and Ravi Bishnoi’s third over cost ten runs. Sundar later dismissed captain Kandel Kadovaki‑Flaming for 12. In the final over, with eight runs needed, Akshar bowled a disciplined spell, mixing wides and dot balls to deny any boundary, allowing India to clinch the win by the narrowest of margins.