Bihari ‘Ballebaz’ in Japan: IIT graduate dons Japan colours against India

As India took on Japan in a match of fine margins today, one player from the Japanese dugout felt like home in his opponents. An Indian cricketer was part of Japan's T20 cricket squad for the Asian Games. Abhishek Anand, hailing from Bihar, is the player who joined the Japan team.

Abhishek moved to Japan for work after completing his degree from IIT Kanpur. Having played cricket since childhood, Abhishek began his journey in Japan by playing club cricket. His performance there eventually earned him a spot on the Japanese national team. He is also slated to participate in the Club World Series in May 2025.

Abhishek is a right-handed batsman and a medium-pace bowler. Having made his debut for Japan in 2025, he has scored 275 runs and taken one wicket from 18 matches. Although he was part of the squad, Abhishek did not feature against India in the T20I encounter.