'Bihari kahan nahi hai bhai': He studied chemistry at IIT Kanpur, now plays cricket for Japan

A young man from Bihar who studied Chemistry at one of India's premier engineering institutes is now preparing for a very different kind of challenge. Abhishek Anand, an IIT Kanpur graduate, has made his way into Japan's cricket setup and is set to be part of the country's T20 cricket journey against India.

Anand's story has drawn attention not just because of the India-Japan cricket match, but also because of the unusual path that brought him there. His academic background is in Chemistry, while his sporting journey has taken him from India to Japan and eventually to international cricket.

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A video featuring Anand has now gone viral ahead of the India-Japan T20I. Asked about his connection with Bihar, Anand's response, "Bihari kahan nahi hai bhai," has struck a chord with social media users.

Who is Abhishek Anand?

Anand comes from Bihar and studied Chemistry at IIT Kanpur. While academics formed a major part of his early journey, cricket continued alongside it. After moving to Japan, he remained connected with the sport and played cricket there. His performances eventually opened the door to Japan's national cricket setup.

That makes his journey particularly unusual. He is not someone who followed the conventional route of entering professional cricket in India and then moving overseas. Instead, an IIT Kanpur education and a career in Japan eventually intersected with his long-standing interest in cricket.

From IIT Kanpur to Japan's cricket team

For many Indian students, an IIT degree is associated with careers in engineering, technology, research or business. Anand's path took a different turn. After completing his Chemistry studies at IIT Kanpur, he moved to Japan. There, cricket became more than a recreational pursuit.

He progressed through the local cricket system and eventually earned an opportunity to represent Japan internationally. His journey is also a reminder of how cricket has gradually expanded beyond its traditional strongholds. Japan is not normally among the countries that Indian cricket fans associate with the sport, but the country has developed its own cricket ecosystem and national side.

Why his 'Bihari' comment is going viral

The attention around Anand increased after a video from Japan surfaced online. In the clip, he is asked about being a Bihari while representing Japan. His casual reply, "Bihari kahan nahi hai bhai," has since become the talking point around the video.

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The line has resonated with viewers because Anand's story brings together three identities that rarely appear in the same cricket story: Bihar, IIT Kanpur and Japan. His journey from an academic institution in Uttar Pradesh to the cricket field in Japan has given the India-Japan fixture an additional human-interest angle.=

India vs Japan T20I: When and where will the match be played?

India and Japan are scheduled to play a one-off men's T20I on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi, Japan. The fixture will be the first men's international cricket meeting between India and Japan. It is being played under the Suzuki Cup banner as part of events marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The match also comes just ahead of the Asian Games cricket competition, which is scheduled to begin two days later.

Japan squad for India T20I

Japan's announced 15-member squad is:

• Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (captain)
• Charlie Hara-Hinze
• Benjamin Ito-Davis
• Alester Kadowaki-Fleming
• Kohei Kubota
• Jake Kusuda-Nairn
• Wataru Miyauchi
• Reo Sakurano-Thomas
• Alex Shirai-Patmore
• Shoma Sugaya-Slater
• Declan Suzuki-McComb
• Tsuyoshi Takada
• Ibrahim Takahashi
• Makoto Taniyama
• Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake

Abhishek Anand does not feature in this list.

India squad for Japan T20I

India's squad for the match includes Shreyas Iyer as captain, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain.

The squad is:

• Shreyas Iyer (captain)
• Abhishek Sharma
• Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
• Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper)
• Shivam Dube
• Tilak Varma (vice-captain)
• Axar Patel
• Washington Sundar
• Ravi Bishnoi
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Arshdeep Singh
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
• Yash Thakur
• Vipraj Nigam

For Anand, the India-Japan fixture has nevertheless created a fresh spotlight on a career that began in Bihar, continued at IIT Kanpur and eventually took him to Japan's cricket circuit.