Never thought I would play in Japan, says Shreyas Iyer ahead of historic India T20
India skipper Shreyas Iyer never imagined he would play cricket in Japan, but the country's growing presence on the international cricket map is a sign that the sport is expanding into new territories, he said on Monday ahead of the historic T20 against the hosts.
India will face Japan in Sano on Tuesday in the first international cricket fixture between the two countries, marking the launch of celebrations for 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
India arrived in Japan on Sunday before travelling to Nagoya for the Asian Games.
For Iyer and his teammates, the trip is an unusual one given that cricket remains a relatively niche sport in Japan.
"No, I never thought about it, but yes, I mean, cricket is picking up in every country now, and all the teams are becoming dominant in their own ways, so I'm sure this will be an exciting match as well tomorrow," Iyer said.
Persistent rain forced India to cancel their training session ahead of the game. The match is scheduled to be played in Sano, around 100 km from Tokyo, weather permitting.
Iyer, who is visiting Japan for the first time, said he and his teammates had been impressed by the country's people and hospitality.
"It's beautiful. The time we landed, we saw the people, very cordial, generous, and helpful in nature, which we see it back at home as well. The hospitality is brilliant," he said.
"It's too early to talk about it (only been a day), but I've heard special things from people about Japan as a country and Tokyo as a city as well, so looking forward to explore more."
The Indian captain said the team was keen to experience the unfamiliar cricketing conditions and learn more about their opponents.
"Yes, it is going to be a thrilling and exciting match for us. This is the first time we will be playing Japan, and I don't know much about the conditions, the wicket, but looking forward to have a great match," Iyer said.
"I saw a little bit of reels going here and there, but yes, we will be doing our studies and knowing about the players more, and super excited for the game tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn't rain, and all the viewers and the spectators who will be coming to the stadium will get a nice competitive game," he added.
Playing in Japan has also offered the Indian players a cultural experience different from their usual tours of Australia, England and New Zealand.
"Yes, definitely it's completely different from what we've been used to doing in terms of going to Australia, England, New Zealand.
"It's our very first time, and the culture and the people are very different in terms of how they are in terms of discipline. I'm someone who loves to embrace new culture and get used to the vibe and the accommodation as quickly as possible, so this is a new challenge for us," Iyer said.
The success of the Indian Premier League also came up during the interaction, with questions about how the tournament has helped young players break into the national team.
Iyer pointed to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an example of the pathway created by the IPL.
"I feel that it's a great platform for them to showcase their talent. Recently there is a youngster in our team, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, he came up the ranks through IPL and that's basically a solid platform for everyone who is seeking to showcase their talent and come up the ranks.
"I feel that it's also a great platform to come into the Indian team because whenever you perform in the IPL, the eyes are always on you and you get recognized pretty quick," he said.
