Bihar-born cricketer now making his mark for Japan
Anand has played 18 T20Is for Japan after making his debut in 2025
Cricket is more than a sport in India, but with fierce competition for opportunities at the highest level, some players choose to take their passion overseas. Abhishek Anand is one of them.
Born in Bihar and raised in Patna, the IIT graduate moved to Japan after receiving a placement offer from an IT company while he was still in college. At the time, Anand was focused on building a career in cricket and had created what he describes as a “very good environment for cricket” at his college.
When he received the offer, however, he was given just two hours to decide whether to accept it and move to Japan or remain in India.
“I wanted to stay in India and continue my passion for cricket as well as my job,” Anand told IANS.
But before making his decision, he began researching cricket in Japan. Coincidentally, the Japanese team had qualified that year for the East Asia-Pacific World Cup qualifier, giving Anand hope that the sport had a future in the country.
“During those two hours, I thought a lot about what to do, whether I should go to Japan or not. Then, I thought of searching for some cricket facts in Japan,” he said.
“Fortunately, that year the Japanese team qualified for the East Asia-Pacific World Cup qualifier. I felt that there was hope for cricket in Japan as well. After seeing all this news, I thought about going to Japan to explore the opportunity there. After two hours of research, I accepted the offer and came to Japan.”
What followed was a journey he never expected.
Soon after arriving in Japan, Anand began contacting cricket clubs and eventually joined Tokyo Falcon Cricket Club. His performances over the next three years caught the attention of the Japan Cricket Association (JCA).
“As soon as I came to Japan, I started reaching out to clubs. Then, I came here and joined Tokyo Falcon Cricket Club,” he said.
“I continued to play well for three consecutive years. JCA had an eye on me and how I was performing year by year. So, they reached out to me in the third year and told me that my performance was good.
“They told me, ‘We want you to be part of our national team. So, keep practising hard and doing your best.’ So, I continued to play well. Then, in 2025, I was selected for the national team.”
The dream of playing international cricket had become a reality.
“I never thought that I would play in the Japan team,” Anand said. “So, the journey in Japan is quite unbelievable.”
Debut in 2025
Anand has since played 18 T20Is for Japan after making his debut in 2025. He has scored a half-century and also contributes with occasional medium-pace bowling.
Anand will not be part of Japan’s squad for Tuesday’s historic one-off T20I against India at the Sano International Cricket Ground. The match is being played as part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
Despite missing out on selection, Anand plans to be around the team and enjoy the occasion.
“See, I am excited about that match. Still, I am not in the squad, but I will be around the team, supporting the team,” he said.
