Abhishek Anand was born in Bihar and later moved to Japan and tomorrow he will face them in the historic one-off T20I at Sano
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East Zone’s captain Ishan Kishan with teammate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the third day of the Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-final match between Central Zone and East Zone in Bengaluru on Tuesday, September 01, 2026(Photo: IANS/Dhananjay TK)
India-born Japan cricketer Abhishek Anand is hoping for a special meeting with fellow cricketers from Bihar Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan when Japan take on India in a historic one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground tomorrow.
Anand, who was born in Bihar, moved to Japan after getting a job opportunity thereHis journey eventually took him into cricket, and he went on to earn a place in the Japan national setup.
With India in Japan, Anand is keen to meet Sooryavanshi and Kishan, who also have roots in BiharHe particularly named Sooryavanshi as his favourite player at the moment.
“Currently, everyone’s favourite is Vaibhav SooryavanshiBut yeah, all the players in the Indian team are equally good,” Anand said.
He then spoke about his wish to meet the two Bihar-born players.
“Of course, (I want to meet) my Bihari brothers, Ishan Kishan and Sooryavanshi,” he said.
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The India-Japan T20I will be a major occasion for Japanese cricket with the Indian team visiting the country for the first time for a bilateral fixtureAnand said the Japan team is looking forward to hosting India and hopes the connection between the two countries continues to grow.
#WATCH | Tokyo, Japan: Bihar-born cricketer representing the Japan national team, Abhishek Anand, says, “…My journey started with short-ball cricket in Bihar during my childhoodAt the same time, my parents wanted me to pursue a career in a professional field, so I studied IT.… pic.twitter.com/SS5w73ILgj
— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2026
“We are eagerly waiting to host the Indian teamWe are eagerly waiting for this matchAnd (I hope) the India-Japan bond should stay strong so that we can do well in the future,” he said.
Anand’s own cricket journey in Japan began after he received a placement offer from Accenture Japan while studying in collegeHe had initially planned to stay in India, continue his career and pursue cricket alongside his job.
However, after getting the offer, he spent the two hours he was given to make a decision researching cricket in JapanHe found that the Japanese team had qualified for the East Asia-Pacific World Cup qualifier that year and felt there could be an opportunity for him to continue playing the sport after moving abroad.
“So, after 2 hours of research, I accepted the offer and came to Japan,” Anand said.
After arriving in Japan, Anand joined Tokyo Falcon Cricket ClubHe performed well for the club over his first three years before earning a call-up to the Japan national team.
His story has now added another chapter with India visiting JapanWhile he will not be on the field against the Indian side, Anand will have the chance to watch the match from close quarters and hopefully meet the two players from Bihar he has been waiting to see.
