India created T20I history on Tuesday, September 22, but they had to work hard for it. Despite scoring only 32/4 in a five-over match against Japan in Sano, India managed to defend the small total and win by two runs.
The match was reduced to five overs per side because of a wet outfield. Japan finished on 30/3, giving India a narrow victory in the first ever T20I meeting between the two teams.
More importantly, the win was India’s 200th victory in T20Is, making them the first team in the world, including both international and franchise teams, to reach the milestone in the shortest format. India have now recorded 194 outright wins in 291 T20Is, along with six victories in Super Overs, taking their total number of T20 wins to 200.
Pakistan are second on the list of teams with the most T20I wins. The 2009 T20 World Cup champions have won 176 of the 303 T20Is they have played so far.
India have also maintained an impressive record against the teams they have faced. They have played T20Is against 20 different teams and have beaten every one of them at least once. India are also the only team in the world to have a win percentage above 50 against every team they have played.
India captain Shreyas Iyer decided to bat first after winning the toss but the innings quickly went off track. In-form opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck in the very first over. Sanju Samson, who had scored back-to-back fifties against Afghanistan the previous week, also failed to make an impact and was dismissed in the second over. India then lost Ishan Kishan in the third over.
Captain Shreyas Iyer tried to steady the innings and scored 16 runs, but he was eventually dismissed by Charlie Hara-Hinze on the fifth ball of the fifth over. India ended their five overs at 32/4, leaving Japan with a target of only 33 runs.
Defending 33 runs looked like a difficult task and Japan came close to causing a major upset. However, India’s bowlers managed to keep their opponents under pressure. Washington Sundar played a key role, taking two wickets for 13 runs in his two-over spell. Japan finished at 30/3, falling just two runs short of the target as India held on for a memorable victory.
The result gave India their 200th T20I win and also made their first ever T20I match against Japan a historic occasion. India will return to action on September 28, 2026, when they will play their quarterfinal match at the 2026 Asian Games.
All the best to team India!
