In a cricketing encounter marked by a stark mismatch, Mongolia experienced a crushing defeat against Japan in a T20 International match held on May 8, 2024, at the Sano International Cricket Ground. The match witnessed Mongolia recording the second-lowest score in T20I history, managing a mere 12 runs in their innings.

Match Details

The T20 International clash between Mongolia and Japan unfolded at the Sano International Cricket Ground, highlighting the growing presence of cricket beyond traditional cricket-playing nations. Despite Mongolia’s earnest efforts, the match turned into a one-sided affair as Japan asserted their dominance on the field.

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Japan, batting first, posted a daunting total of 218 runs, buoyed by a stellar innings from Sabaorish Ravichandran, who contributed 69 runs to the team’s tally. In response, Mongolia faltered against Japan’s formidable bowling lineup, succumbing to the pressure and managing only 12 runs in their innings.

Mongolia’s Struggles

Mongolia’s batting lineup struggled to contend with Japan’s disciplined bowling attack, with the team failing to build partnerships or muster significant resistance. The young left-arm seamer, 17-year-old Kazuma Kato-Stafford, emerged as the chief tormentor for Mongolia, claiming an impressive 5-wicket haul for just 7 runs. His stellar performance epitomized Japan’s dominance throughout the match.

Despite efforts from individual players like Tur Sumaya, who top-scored with a modest 4 runs, Mongolia’s batting order collapsed under the relentless pressure of Japan’s bowlers. Namsrai Bat-yalalt, facing the most deliveries, was unable to anchor the innings, reflecting the collective struggle faced by the Mongolian team.

Lowest Totals in Men’s T20Is

Pos.	Team	Score	Opponent	Venue	Date
1.	Isle of Man	10	Spain	Cartagena	Feb 26, 2023
2.	Mongolia	12	Japan	Sano	May 8, 2024
3.	Sydney Thunder	15	Adelaide Strikers	Sydney	Dec 16, 2022
4.	Turkey	21	Czech Republic	Ilfov County	Aug 30, 2019
5.	Lesotho	26	Uganda	Kigali	Oct 19, 2021
6.	Turkey	28	Luxembourg	Ilfov County	Aug 29, 2019
7.	Thailand	30	Malaysia	Bangi	July 4, 2022
8.	Mali	30	Rwanda	Kigali	Nov 24, 2022
9.	Mali	30	Kenya	Kigali	Nov 20, 2022
10.	Turkey	32	Austria	Ilfov County	Aug 31, 2019

Emerging Cricket in Mongolia

The harsh defeat against Japan underscores the challenges faced by Mongolia in its nascent journey in international cricket. Introduced to the sport only seven months prior, Mongolia has encountered formidable opposition and steep learning curves, exemplified by its struggles in various competitions, including the Asian Games.

This was the second T20I of a seven-match series, while the third one, slated later in the day, did not yield any result.

In the first T20I, Mongolia were bowled out for 33 in reply to Japan’s 199 for 5, enduring a 166-run defeat.

This was Mongolia’s fifth T20I appearance, having made international debut at the Hangzhou showpiece where they made a group stage exit after losing both their matches.

Nepal had amassed 314/3 against Mongolia on their international debut, a match they had lost by 273 runs after getting out for 41.