Incessant rains have deprived India of crucial training and competition time in Japan, but constant meetings and team activities have helped the players remain “switched on”, said opener Sanju Samson here on Wednesday (September 30, 2026).
India have been in Japan for the past 10 days but have only played a five-overs-a-side game against Japan on September 22. Earlier, India’s opening match in the Asia Games — a quarterfinal against Afghanistan — was abandoned after no play was possible due to rain. The three-time T20 World Cup winners have their first proper training session scheduled later on Wednesday. India will take on Sri Lanka in the semifinal here on Thursday.
“We have had some good time [off the field]. We have been doing some team activities. We were trying to do some practice (but the weather did not allow). “… these are the times where we need to be a bit more aware that we need to switch on and suddenly play a big semifinal. We all are aware of that. When the team is having a gym session, we are saying that ‘yes, we need to get out and play some game of cricket’. So, we all are very much excited to come and play a proper game of cricket. We have never played a game here in Nagoya. Most of us are playing here for the first time, so there might be a lot of unknown factors. And it goes for the other team as well. So, both teams are coming here fresh. “We don’t know the conditions until we go out there and play a proper game of cricket. So, that is where the fun is. I think that is where any team can compete against any team.”
But we were training and conditioning in the gym,” Samson said when asked if the weather has disrupted the team’s rhythm. Asked if it was safe to play in such conditions, Samson said: “Conditions are a bit different. Luckily, we have got a good sunny day today to practice,” said Samson on the eve of the semifinal against a second-string Sri Lanka. “Yes, yesterday we were having a chat in the gym.