Cricket in Japan: How an Indian's gesture fuelled a dream in 2011
The sight of seeing them play India is so gratifying, says Shyam Bhatia, a Dubai-based businessman who once shipped hundreds of kits to the country
The scenic Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, venue of the first-ever T20I match between India and Japan on Tuesday, almost came close to witnessing what could have been a mother of all upsets. Shreyas Iyer’s men finally prevailed by two runs in a one-off game ahead of their Asian Games title-defence, but it was Japan’s fearless show which warmed the hearts of an octogenarian cricket enthusiast thousands of miles away.
It was 15 years back that Shyam Bhatia, a Dubai-based businessman and a respected cricket enthusiast in the sport’s fraternity, took a significant step by shipping out few hundred cricket kits to Japan through his foundation Cricket for Care. This only marked the beginning of a long association between Bhatia and Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and Bhatia’s emotions were understandable as pink shirts matched the T20 World Cup champions toe-to-toe in a truncated game—held as a celebration of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations.
‘’It’s so gratifying to see them play India that I find it difficult to sum up this feeling. The JCA wanted to host me as a special guest there but I had to refuse such a long trip for just one game,’’ Bhatia told National Herald. ‘’I have been receiving messages from Alex (Naoki Alex Miyaji), the CEO of JCA, that they wanted me to be present on such a historic occasion. What is more important for me is that my little contribution could unlock the passion for cricket in a country not known for it,’’ said Bhatia, whose privately developed cricket museum has won wholesome praise from the global cricket community over the years.
Bhatia’s penchant for promoting the game through distribution of thousands of cricket bats, kits and gear has touched lives of the young and often needy—across countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan and of course in India. Not resting on distribution of free kits alone, he has sponsored spinners’ clinics for South African youth in Mohali, which was attended by the likes of Keshav Maharaj and Roelof van der Merwe as teenagers. There are stories aplenty, including how he backed a young Sarfraz Khan and his brother by providing them with assistance.
When he distributed the kits in Japan for the first time, the nation was still recovering from the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami the same year. His gesture, as Bhatia would like to believe, brought smiles to the faces of local children—resulting in the promotion of the Japan Cricket Association (JCA)’s Cricket for Smiles programme. “Numerous children were in desperate need of something to bring them joy, happiness, and restore their courage. I thank Bhatia for this gesture,” Miyaji had said in an interview.
Bhatia did not have to wait long to see the fruits of his silent contribution. In 2024, Japan’s budding cricketers qualified for the Under-19 Asia Cup and Miyaji acknowledged Bhatia’s contribution in a letter from Japan which said: “Your contribution to the game here has played a vital role during the last decade and made a significant contribution to enabling us to qualify for the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.”
The leap into the big stage has been like a journey well begun for the Japanese team, built with a spinkling of mixed heritage players, expats and homegrown talents. The road ahead is a tough and challenging one for them, but it’s fascinating to note there was an Indian hand which made a key move in taking the sport to an unchartered territory.