Bihar-born IIT Kanpur graduate Abhishek Anand's Japan cricket journey goes viral ahead of historic India T20I

From the classrooms of IIT Kanpur to the crease of Japan's national cricket team, Abhishek Anand's journey has taken a remarkable turn — and a viral video has now placed the Bihar-born cricketer firmly in the spotlight ahead of Japan's historic T20I against India.

From IIT Kanpur to Japan's cricket circuit

The 28-year-old, who hails from Bihar's Rohtas district, moved to Japan for employment after completing his Chemistry degree at IIT Kanpur. During his college years, he never drifted far from the game — captaining the institute's cricket team while balancing academics.

After graduating, Abhishek relocated to Tokyo for work. Rather than giving up the sport, he began playing club cricket in Japan, juggling his professional commitments with his passion for the game. His performances in the local circuit helped him earn a call-up to Japan's national setup.

Abhishek made his T20I debut against the Cook Islands on May 9, 2025. He has since played 18 T20Is, scoring 275 runs — including a highest score of 55 — and taking one wicket, according to figures cited in recent reports.

'Bihari kahan nahi hai bhai': Video goes viral

Abhishek's journey has captured attention on social media ahead of the India-Japan fixture, with a video featuring the cricketer going viral. In the clip, he is asked about being a Bihari representing Japan. His response, along with a message directed at the Indian team, has sparked widespread interest among cricket fans, with the phrase "Bihari kahan nahi hai bhai" drawing particular attention.

However, despite the buzz surrounding his story, Abhishek's participation in the September 22 fixture is not confirmed. Japan have announced a 15-member squad for the match, and Abhishek is not among the selected players.

India vs Japan T20I: Match details

India and Japan are scheduled to meet in a historic one-off men's T20I on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi, Japan. The match will be the first men's international cricket meeting between the two countries and is being held under the Suzuki Cup banner to commemorate 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations.

The fixture will also serve as preparation for the Asian Games, where the cricket competition begins two days later.

Squads for the historic fixture

Japan squad: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (captain), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alex Shirai-Patmore, Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama and Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake.

India squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur and Vipraj Nigam.