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Match 1 | Asian Games 2026 Cricket | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin | 24 September 2026
Najibullah Zadran carries the most senior firepower in Afghanistan’s line-up, with 1,830 T20I runs behind him, while surprise package Mohammad Akram arrives on the back of a maiden century and a strike rate above 190 in domestic cricket. Japan counter with Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, their all-time leading run scorer and captain, who has opened in a world-record partnership. Both sides field batters who have barely faced a full member nation, which makes this Group A opener as unpredictable as it is historic.
Najibullah Zadran is the clear senior presence for Afghanistan, with 1,830 runs from 107 T20 internationals and an average of 29.51. Karim Janat adds experience of his own, having played 75 T20Is, though his average of 16.86 shows he leans more on impact than consistency at the crease.
Captain Darwish Rasooli offers something different again: a top-order batter with 515 runs from 28 T20Is and 156 runs in a series against West Indies that earned him Player of the Series. His highest score of 84 shows he can play the long innings when Afghanistan need it most. That series alone showed he can shoulder responsibility as captain, not just as a middle-order finisher.
Mohammad Akram has no senior caps yet but arrives with 339 runs from just eight innings in this year’s Shpageeza Cricket League, striking at 191.52 and including a maiden T20 century. Ismat Alam matched him for impact with 294 runs at a strike rate of 168 and picked up nine wickets in the same tournament.
Khalid Taniwal offers another domestic option, having struck at close to 200 in the same competition, while youth prospect Faisal Shinozada scored 435 runs at the Under-19 World Cup, including a century against India in the semi-final. Afghanistan’s selectors have leaned heavily on current form over reputation. Between the four of them, Afghanistan’s batting looks deeper than it did even a year ago.
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming is Japan’s all-time leading run scorer, with 1,871 runs from 55 matches at an average of 38.18, and he has captained the side in every single one of them. His highest score of 114 came as part of a world-record 258-run opening stand with Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake against China.
Yamamoto-Lake himself has scored 825 runs at an average of 21.15, with that 134 not out still standing as the highest individual score by a Japanese batter in the format. Between them, the pair give Japan a genuine platform if they can survive the first few overs against Afghanistan’s new-ball bowling. Japan will need both of them firing if they are to trouble a side with genuine international pedigree.
Beyond the captain, Japan’s batting depends on players like Sabaorish Ravichandran, who has scored 997 runs at an average of 22.15, and Ibrahim Takahashi, who has passed fifty T20I appearances despite an average closer to 17. Neither offers the ceiling of Kadowaki-Fleming, but both bring the experience of dozens of matches together.
Wataru Miyauchi and Alexander Shirai-Patmore round out the wicketkeeping options with the bat, both capable of forty-plus scores but yet to convert that into a defining innings on the biggest stage. Afghanistan’s attack, led by Rashid Khan’s absence being felt less than expected, will test all of them equally. How those two performers respond under Asian Games pressure could shape Japan’s tournament from the very first match.
Korogi Sports Park has produced first-innings totals in the range of 124 to 135 across its short T20I history, a modest par score that should keep both attacks in the contest. The highest total posted there stands at 204 for 5, while the venue’s best chase sits at just 92 for 7, hinting that defending could carry the advantage.
| Batter | Team | Average | Strike Rate |
| Najibullah Zadran | AFG | 29.52 | 137.80 |
| Darwish Rasooli | AFG | 22.39 | 124.40 |
| Mohammad Akram | AFG | 14.63 | 146.25 |
| Ismat Alam | AFG | 22.12 | 124.50 |
| Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming | JPN | 38.18 | 139.42 |
| Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake | JPN | 21.15 | 131.58 |
Whichever top order settles fastest against the new ball should decide how this Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026 top batters contest plays out, and neither side has much recent experience of the conditions at Korogi to fall back on.
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Who are Afghanistan’s leading batting options at the Asian Games?
Najibullah Zadran and captain Darwish Rasooli lead the batting on experience. Zadran has 1,830 T20I runs, while domestic standout Mohammad Akram arrives with a strike rate above 190.
Who is Japan’s leading run scorer in T20 internationals?
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming holds that record for Japan. He has scored 1,871 runs in 55 matches at an average of 38.18, with two centuries and twelve fifties along the way.
Is Najibullah Zadran playing at the Asian Games?
Yes, he is named in Afghanistan’s official fifteen-member squad for the tournament. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed his selection on 17 August 2026, alongside regular captain Rashid Khan, who was rested.
How many teams advance from the group stage in Asian Games cricket?
The top two sides from each preliminary group reach the quarter-finals. Japan and Afghanistan share their group with Nepal, whom they face on 24 and 26 September.
Where can fans watch the Japan and Afghanistan cricket match?
FanCode is confirmed as the streaming option for viewers in India. Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi will carry live television coverage there as well.
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