‘Not a big deal, we’ll see’: Japan cricketer reveals teammate who has dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, ‘excited’ for another duel originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Japan’s Charlie Hara-Hinze has previously dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the Under-19 Asia Cup.
Team-mate Sabaorish Ravichandran says Hara-Hinze is relishing the chance for a rematch.
India face Japan in a historic first-ever T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22.
Charlie Hara-Hinze remains excited for another game against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
India’s arrival in Japan next week for their first-ever T20I has generated plenty of buzz on the home side, and for one Japan player in particular, the occasion carries a personal subplot. Charlie Hara-Hinze, the teenage left-arm spinner who is part of Japan’s Asian Games squad, has already beaten Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once before, and he is keen to do so again.
The one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22 will be Japan’s first time facing the subcontinent giants in the format, and the build-up for this challenge against a full-strength Indian side remains at the centre of attention. Amid that, Sabaorish Ravichandran, a fellow member of the Japan squad, revealed the story behind one of his team-mates’ most eagerly anticipated duels.
Speaking about the mood inside the camp, Ravichandran explained that Hara-Hinze, who serves as Japan’s Under-19 captain, had already faced Sooryavanshi at that level and won, a history that has only added to his motivation for the senior fixture.
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What Sabaorish Ravichandran said about Charlie Hara-Hinze’s history with Sooryavanshi
Ravichandran detailed the earlier meeting between the two players and how his team-mate has reacted to the prospect of a rematch at a considerably bigger occasion. “In our team, there is a player named Charlie. He is the Under-19 captain. He has played in the Under-19 Asia Cup against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and has taken his wicket as well. So, he is very excited,” Ravichandran said.
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“When I asked him, he said, ‘It’s not a big deal; we’ll see.’ So, for him, it’s a motivating factor,” Ravichandran added. He was also quick to mention that the Japanese camp’s excitement is not just for this one game but also for the sheer thrill of facing some of the biggest names from India.
“In general, I won’t name one player in particular, because everyone in the Indian team is a superstar,” he said. “If I have to say specifically, everyone is very excited to face Bumrah. He is the best, of course, if I have to say. Will he be able to play? Will they rest him? If he plays, it’ll be a big dream come true.”
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Japan’s chance to face the reigning world champions in T20 cricket
But while Bumrah remains one of the hottest names in India’s squad for Japan, the whole team is star-studded with former T20 champions among them. That thought isn’t lost on the Japanese bowlers, who remain excited to test their bowling against the reigning world champions in the format.
“Our team is also very excited about bowling to batsmen like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Ravichandran said, before detailing the preparation that has gone into the occasion. “Both bowlers and batsmen are training for the past one to two months. Before any tournament, our strength and conditioning coach usually gives us a workout plan. So, the preparation is going well, and they are very excited to face the team.”
MORE: Gambhir breaks silence on benching Sooryavanshi to back Samson after Afghanistan sweep
Why Hara-Hinze’s confidence is not entirely misplaced
It would be easy to dismiss an Under-19 dismissal as little more than a fun footnote, but Hara-Hinze’s profile suggests his self-belief has some substance behind it. The left-arm orthodox spinner plays club cricket for Northern Suburbs in Australia and has already shown he can trouble sides well above Japan’s usual level.
With 10 wickets at an average of 6.60 during the country’s T20 World Cup qualifying campaign this year, he remains one of the brightest cricketing talents in Japan. However, none of that changes the gulf between Japan’s associate-level bowling attack and a Sooryavanshi who has since gone on to make his senior India debut and score IPL runs against far tougher opposition than most Under-19 fields provide.
But Ravichandran’s account captures something worth noting about occasions like this, that for the players on the smaller side of a mismatch, a single prior success against a rising star can matter far more than the raw form line suggests, and it is exactly the kind of personal stake that gives fixtures like Japan’s historic first T20I their edge.
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