India rout Japan to reach Asian Games cricket semi-finals in Nagoya
India defeated Japan by eight wickets at Korogi Sports Park in Nagoya in the Asian Games women’s cricket quarterfinal on Friday, September 18, 2026, chasing the 58-run target in five overs to win 59/2. Japan were dismissed for 57 in 19.5 overs before Shafali Verma’s unbeaten 40 off 15 balls finished the match quickly.
Cricket remains a niche sport in Japan but drew a visible contingent of volunteers and travelling supporters to the venue, which doubles as a baseball field. A volunteer singled out the Indian captain’s jersey No. 23, saying, “I don’t know the name but No. 23, I like her. My friend is an Indian and he also likes her game a lot. I really like watching the sport and her game.” Spectators faced a difficult journey to the ground, with many changing at least two train lines and walking 15-20 minutes to reach the temporary, open stands; some attendees suffered heatstrokes and required fluids under the sun.
On the field, pacer Shree Charani dismantled the Japan batting line-up, taking four wickets for 10 runs as Ayaka Kato-Stafford top-scored with 25. Japan finished on 57 in 19.5 overs, with Charani’s 4/10 listed in the scorecard.
India’s reply was brief: Shafali Verma remained unbeaten on 40 (not out) as the visitors reached 59/2 in five overs. Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian captain, did not bat in the chase as the target was achieved swiftly.
Supporters who had travelled to Nagoya included Virendra Maja and Aniket Yagnik, who came from Osaka and are originally from Madhya Pradesh; they identified Smriti Mandhana and Shreyanka Patil as players they follow. “It is a proud moment for us to watch the Indian women’s team play in Japan. We applied for leave from work and drove here to cheer for them. It feels special,” Maja said.
The victory sends India into the Asian Games semi-finals, setting up a repeat of the Asia Cup semifinal against Bangladesh, which the report described as a tougher challenge than Friday’s outing.
