Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in contention for Suzuki Cup one-off T20I against Japan

Team India, having arrived in Aichi-Nagoya for the Asian Games 2026, will meet Japan in a one-off T20I called the Suzuki Cup at the Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday, and selection questions remain over whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will feature.

India reached Aichi-Nagoya after disappointing results against Ireland and England but regained form with a 3-0 T20I series victory over Zimbabwe; that triumph was Shreyas Iyer’s first series win as captain. Shreyas Iyer, aged 31, has achieved significant success in domestic cricket and the IPL yet “failed to get off to a successful start with the national team,” and he has been tasked with leading India at the Asian Games alongside head coach VVS Laxman. The squad includes several first-choice names such as Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah, and the selection list also contains Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, described in the squad notes as a 15-year-old hailed as the future of Indian cricket who continues to display his batting prowess.

Supporters are asking whether Sooryavanshi will be handed a role in the Suzuki Cup T20I, but Shreyas Iyer could instead choose a “more experienced opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.”

India enter the fixture as two-time defending world T20 champions and sit second in the global rankings; Japan are placed 41st in the rankings and are attempting to make a name for themselves in international cricket.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has played 6 T20Is for India, scoring 193 runs at an average of 32, with a highest score of 81 against Zimbabwe on July 26 earlier this year.

Following the Suzuki Cup one-off T20I, India are scheduled to play in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals on Monday, September 28.