Explained: How Is Japan Cricket Similar to Indian Cricket? 3 Interesting Facts

The game of cricket has seen a global rise, with new nations coming forward to play cricket at a higher level, like the Italy Cricket Team playing in the ICC T20 World Cup, Portugal playing in the qualifiers, and now Japan is all set to play a T20I match against the Indian Cricket Team in Japan. This Japan vs India cricket match will make a huge impact on Japan Cricket overall, and it will also be India's 20th opponent to face in a T20I match.

Generally, cricket fans may have had a perception that Japan cricket might be a struggling one, and the cricket ecosystem might be completely different to what we see across the cricketing nations. However, there are 3 interesting Japan cricket facts which make the Japan cricket ecosystem similar to that of the Indian cricket ecosystem to some extent.

How Is Japan Cricket Similar to Indian Cricket? 3 Interesting Facts

The level at which the Indian cricket ecosystem stands currently is not matched by any of the best cricket teams in the world, but there are 3 facts about the Japan cricket ecosystem that are similar to that of the Indian one. Let's have a look at them.

1. Vast Cricketing Infrastructure

Japan has around 28 cricket grounds, which are actively managed or used through the Japan Cricket Association. The list includes some of the smallest cricket stadiums in the world, like Sano International Cricket Ground, Edogawa Cricket Ground, Fuji Cricket Grounds, and many more. This shows that Japan Cricket invests in building a vast cricket infrastructure, just like India, where there are plenty of cricket grounds.

2. Women's Japan Premier League T20

The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) hosts the Women's Japan Premier League T20, which is an annual domestic tournament with teams like Mamushi, Titans, Meteors, and Pacific Sunrays playing against each other. This is very similar to the domestic women's leagues in India and also to the Women's Premier League (WPL). Another thing to appreciate about the Japan Cricket is giving equal importance to women's cricket.

3. Four-Division Domestic League in Japan

The Japan Cricket Association runs the Japan Cricket League across four tiers, where Division 4 accommodates developmental squads, lower XIs, and newer clubs. This may not be directly the same as India's domestic setup, but it could be linked to that, like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which are played among the state cricket associations.