Dhugal Bedingfield appointed Japan head coach for one-off T20I against India

Dhugal Bedingfield will coach Japan in their one-off T20I against India at Sano on Tuesday. The Australian joined the Japan Cricket Association in 2014 after four years teaching in the country between 2004 and 2008. He has held multiple roles including women's and under-19 coach before taking the senior men's position.

Japan's domestic structure now includes four divisions of 40-over cricket and 85 senior men's T20 teams. The squad features three categories of players: those with two Japanese parents, dual-heritage players from cricketing nations, and expatriates. Bedingfield noted that some Tokyo clubs operate six or seven senior teams plus age-group and women's sides.

The match marks the first T20I between the teams and forms part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. India are the defending T20 World Cup champions while Japan sit at 41st in the ICC rankings.