India-born Japan cricketer Abhishek Anand is hoping for a special meeting with fellow cricketers from Bihar Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan when Japan take on India in a historic one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground tomorrow.
Anand, who was born in Bihar, moved to Japan after getting a job opportunity there. His journey eventually took him into cricket, and he went on to earn a place in the Japan national setup.
With India in Japan, Anand is keen to meet Sooryavanshi and Kishan, who also have roots in Bihar. He particularly named Sooryavanshi as his favourite player at the moment.
“Currently, everyone’s favourite is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. But yeah, all the players in the Indian team are equally good,” Anand said.
He then spoke about his wish to meet the two Bihar-born players.
“Of course, (I want to meet) my Bihari brothers, Ishan Kishan and Sooryavanshi,” he said.
The India-Japan T20I will be a major occasion for Japanese cricket with the Indian team visiting the country for the first time for a bilateral fixture. Anand said the Japan team is looking forward to hosting India and hopes the connection between the two countries continues to grow.
“We are eagerly waiting to host the Indian team. We are eagerly waiting for this match. And (I hope) the India-Japan bond should stay strong so that we can do well in the future,” he said.
Anand’s own cricket journey in Japan began after he received a placement offer from Accenture Japan while studying in college. He had initially planned to stay in India, continue his career and pursue cricket alongside his job.
However, after getting the offer, he spent the two hours he was given to make a decision researching cricket in Japan. He found that the Japanese team had qualified for the East Asia-Pacific World Cup qualifier that year and felt there could be an opportunity for him to continue playing the sport after moving abroad.
“So, after 2 hours of research, I accepted the offer and came to Japan,” Anand said.
After arriving in Japan, Anand joined Tokyo Falcon Cricket Club. He performed well for the club over his first three years before earning a call-up to the Japan national team.
His story has now added another chapter with India visiting Japan. While he will not be on the field against the Indian side, Anand will have the chance to watch the match from close quarters and hopefully meet the two players from Bihar he has been waiting to see.