Shreyas Iyer makes T20I history as India opt to bat first in rain-hit five-over clash with Japan

Shreyas Iyer etched his name into the record books on Tuesday when he became the first captain from a Full Member nation to elect to bat first in a five-overs-a-side T20I, after India won the toss against Japan in their historic one-off contest at the Sano International Cricket Ground.

The landmark call came amid far from ideal conditions. Rain and a wet outfield delayed the toss — originally scheduled for 9am IST — and forced the match to be reduced to five overs per side. With every delivery carrying heightened significance in so shortened a contest, Iyer chose to put India's batters in first, a decision that created a unique statistical entry in T20I cricket.

A first meeting between India and Japan

The match is a landmark occasion in its own right: India and Japan have never faced each other in men's T20I cricket before Tuesday. The fixture also carries diplomatic weight, forming part of the celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The game serves as the opening event of "Sport 75", an initiative designed to encourage sporting exchanges and greater cooperation between India and Japan — giving an unusual, rain-shortened contest an unusually grand backdrop.

India's enviable record against new opponents

History is firmly on India's side. The Indian team have won 16 of their 19 matches in their first-ever meeting against an opponent, with their only defeats in such encounters coming against New Zealand and the West Indies, while the match against Scotland ended without a result.

No other Full Member side boasts a better record in its inaugural meeting against a new opponent, and India will be hoping that record remains intact in a contest dramatically compressed by the weather.

Samson and Abhishek open, Bumrah rested

India made a couple of notable selection calls for the shortened game. Youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi missed out once again, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma retaining their places at the top of the order — and both arrive in outstanding form. Samson has struck back-to-back fifties, while Abhishek comes into the match fresh from a stunning 30-ball century against Afghanistan, the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Full Member nation.

India also opted to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the Japan encounter, with Yash Thakur coming into the playing XI.

Playing XIs

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

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

Final outing before Asian Games defence

The match is India's only T20I before the men's team head to the Asian Games as defending champions, adding further significance to an already unusual contest — one in which India's spotless record against first-time opponents, and Iyer's place in the history books, hang on five overs of cricket.