Delhi Capitals Take Cricket to Japan as British School Tokyo Partnership Targets Next Generation

With cricket returning to the Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and Japan preparing to face India in two historic fixtures, the sport is receiving a significant grassroots boost in the country.

The JSW and GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals have partnered with The British School in Tokyo (BST) to help grow cricket among young people in Japan, with support from the Japan Cricket Association (JCA).

The initiative comes at an important moment for Japanese cricket. India’s women’s team will face hosts Japan in the Asian Games quarter-finals on September 18, while the Indian men’s team will take on Japan in the Suzuki Cup T20 International on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture.

Delhi Capitals' partnership with BST marks the franchise's first major effort to take its cricketing expertise directly to young players in Japan.

As the first step of the partnership, former India captain and Delhi Capitals Women's Assistant Coach Anju Jain visited The British School in Tokyo in September to conduct interactive cricket workshops for primary and secondary students. Jain brings considerable experience from both playing and coaching at the highest level. A former India international wicketkeeper-batter, she captained India at the 2000 Women's World Cup and is also an Arjuna Award recipient.

During her visit, Jain introduced students to the fundamentals of cricket while sharing experiences and lessons from her international playing and coaching career. The workshops are intended to be the beginning of a wider relationship between Delhi Capitals and BST. Future initiatives are expected to include additional coaching sessions and player interactions, technical guidance for school coaches and support for student-led cricket programmes.

The objective is not simply to introduce children to cricket but to create an environment where young players can continue developing their interest and skills.

The partnership forms part of Delhi Capitals' broader efforts to expand its global cricket footprint and connect with emerging cricket communities. Japan represents an interesting opportunity for the sport, particularly with cricket featuring at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and scheduled to return to the Olympic programme at Los Angeles 2028. Sunil Gupta, CEO of Delhi Capitals, said Japan offers an opportunity to contribute to cricket's development at the grassroots level. “Japan is an exciting market for cricket, and we see a great opportunity to contribute to its growth at the grassroots level,” Gupta said.

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He added that the partnership would allow young players to learn from individuals who have played and coached cricket at the highest level, with the aim of encouraging more young people in Japan to take up the sport.

The franchise's association with Japanese cricket also has a previous connection through Ahilya Chandel, who joined Delhi Capitals as a net bowler during WPL 2025. Chandel is among the few bowlers to have recorded a double hat-trick in women's T20 internationals, providing another link between the franchise and the developing Japanese cricket ecosystem. The latest partnership takes that relationship beyond professional cricket by placing greater emphasis on grassroots participation and education.

The British School in Tokyo Embraces Cricket’s Global Reach

For BST, the initiative provides an opportunity to build on its British heritage while contributing to the development of cricket in Japan. Ian Clayton, principal of The British School in Tokyo, said cricket has the ability to connect people across cultures and generations. “Cricket has a wonderful ability to bring people together across cultures and generations,” Clayton said.

He also highlighted the school's connection to the sport and expressed excitement about working with Jain and Delhi Capitals to help inspire cricket's future in Japan. For the students participating in the programme, the interaction offers an opportunity to understand the sport not only through coaching but also through the experiences of someone who has represented India internationally.

The timing of the initiative is significant. Cricket's presence at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games puts the sport in front of a wider Japanese audience, while its inclusion at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics provides another major international milestone. The upcoming India-Japan matches could further contribute to that visibility.

The women's quarter-final at the Asian Games on September 18 will give Japan an opportunity to compete against one of the world's leading cricket nations. Four days later, the men's teams will meet in the Suzuki Cup T20 International in Tochigi. Against this backdrop, introducing cricket to schoolchildren could help establish a longer-term connection between the sport and a new generation of Japanese athletes.

The Delhi Capitals-BST partnership is designed to go beyond a one-off cricket workshop. With planned coaching, player interactions, coach development and student-led programmes, the initiative seeks to establish a more sustained pathway for young players. For Delhi Capitals, it represents an opportunity to share its experience outside India's established cricket ecosystem. For BST and its students, it provides access to international expertise and a chance to engage with a sport that connects India, Britain, Japan and communities around the world.

As cricket prepares for its return to the Olympic stage and its appearance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, initiatives such as this could play a role in broadening the sport's reach. For the next generation of Japanese players, the first step could simply be picking up a bat or ball at school. With Delhi Capitals now helping open that door, cricket's journey in Japan is gaining another important push.