India’s historic one-off T20I against Japan got off to a dramatic start at the Sano International Cricket Ground, with Abhishek Sharma falling for a golden duck. The explosive opener attempted to attack early but only managed a thick top-edge, with Shoma Sugaya-Slater completing a comfortable catch at short fine leg.

The dismissal came just days after Abhishek had produced one of the most remarkable knocks of his career, smashing a record-breaking 30-ball century against Afghanistan. His latest failure therefore provided a stark contrast to the form he showed in that innings.

Abhishek Sharma falls for a golden duck against Japan

India won the toss and opted to bat first, but Abhishek could not make an impact at the top of the order. Charlie Hara-Hinze bowled the delivery that prompted the India opener to go for a big shot, but the attempted stroke resulted in a thick top-edge. The ball went towards short fine leg, where Sugaya-Slater held on comfortably to complete Japan’s first major breakthrough.

Abhishek departed for 0 off just one delivery, leaving India without a run from his dismissal. His early exit was particularly surprising given his recent performance against Afghanistan. Abhishek had smashed 108 from just 30 balls in that match, but he was unable to replicate that explosive form against Japan.

Japan restrict India to 32/4 in historic T20I

Abhishek’s dismissal was followed by further setbacks for India as Japan’s bowlers continued to put pressure on the star-studded batting lineup. Sanju Samson was dismissed for 9 off seven balls before Ishan Kishan departed for 3 off six deliveries. India were restricted to 32/4 after five overs, with Shreyas Iyer emerging as their top scorer with 16 runs.

The match had already been reduced to five overs per side after a heavily wet outfield caused a significant delay. The contest is particularly significant as it marks the first men’s senior international cricket match between India and Japan. The game, officially known as the Suzuki Cup, is being played as part of the Sport 75 initiative celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

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Here’s how fans reacted:

Golden duck for Abhishek Sharma against Japan. pic.twitter.com/kdfCo8oAal

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 22, 2026

GOLDEN DUCK FOR ABHISHEK SHARMA ❌ pic.twitter.com/6pwjRQM6uq

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 22, 2026

Japan have dismissed the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma with next to nothing !#IndvsJapan

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) September 22, 2026

Abhishek Sharma gets out on Golden Duck. 🦆 pic.twitter.com/k9r913QWyF

— Nawaz. (@Rnawaz0) September 22, 2026

WORLD NO. 2 GONE FOR ZERO!

Abhishek Sharma stunned on a golden duck against Japan! 🇮🇳🔥🏏🤯 pic.twitter.com/nOtMdkak3U

— CricBharat (@DilPrabhat88) September 22, 2026

Abhishek Sharma dismissed for first-ball Duck in the 1st Over.

IND 7/1(1) pic.twitter.com/S6pFi2BA2b

— 😎 (@_VK86) September 22, 2026

I think Abhishek Sharma will create a world record for the highest number of golden ducks. Such an unreliable and overrated player…. We need a better attacking opener. Not the likes of Sharma and Sooryavanshi.

Both need to work on their game before playing international…

— Biswajit 📚 🖊️ 👓 (@biswa_1211) September 22, 2026

ऐसे ही हगना था तो Vaibhav Sooryavanshi को ही खिला लेते.

Sanju Samson
Abhishek Sharma
Ishan Kishan
Shreyas Iyer
Tilak Varma pic.twitter.com/Uk0Ql0h9PO

— शाकाल (@real_shakaal) September 22, 2026

No context Abhishek Sharma:#TeamIndiaInJapan pic.twitter.com/mXZNoGn1sd

— Anurag (@ToshniwalAnurag) September 22, 2026

No flat Track , No party for Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. 😂😂#INDvsJAP

— Indian Cricket 🏏 (@Indiancric1cm) September 22, 2026

A golden duck for Abhishek Sharma against Japan.

– Once a Slogger always a Slogger 🥶. pic.twitter.com/RsG8w3c8HP

— Kashif (@KashifNdmCric) September 22, 2026

Also READ: Aakash Chopra names five Japan players to watch out for in the one-off T20I against India