IND vs JAPAN T20: India win toss, choose to bat first; 5 overs per side match

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first (Pic: AFP)

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first against Japan in the one-off T20 game. The match will be 5-overs per side after a delayed start due to a wet outfield.

After winning the toss, Indian captain Iyer said that his team would bat first. He further added that he wanted to have a look at the Japanese conditions before the start of the Asian Games.

'We are going to bat first. It is a big occasion; it is going to be an exciting one, and we want to explore the conditions. It is going to be a 5-over side, so we want to bat first. I never envisioned that I would be coming to Japan and captaining India. It's important that we know the conditions and we are aware of what's happening around us. We know that these are actually going to be the conditions that are going to be offered in the Asian Games as well. We don't know how the pitches are over there, but definitely this game, this particular game, is going to be a great practice for us heading into that, and yeah, just waiting for that moment to arrive." Shreyas Iyer said.

Japanese captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming said he was happy to bowl first and chase down the score set by India. He further added that he wants his players to enjoy the occasion as they take on the World T20 champions in front of their home fans.

"We probably would have bowled. I was happy either way. It is pure excitement; it is starting to sink in now, and hopefully we can put on a show. There are quite a few Indian supporters here. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has made this game happen. It is amazing, reigning world champions coming here; we wouldn't have believed it a few years ago." Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming said.

Playing XI for both teams:

Japan (Playing XI): Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming(c), Benjamin Ito-Davis, Wataru Miyauchi, Alexander Shirai-Patmore(w), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Ibrahim Takahashi, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh