Anand's path to Japan began during campus placements when he received an offer from Accenture Japan.For many sportspersons, representing their country at the highest level is a lifelong dream. For Bihar-born Abhishek Anand, that dream took an unexpected route. He is now part of Japan’s national cricket setup, years after he first picked up the sport in Patna.Anand recently spoke to BBC News India about his journey from IIT Kanpur to Japan’s cricket team, just as Japan faced India in a historic T20I. Although he did not feature in the match, the 28-year-old’s story of building a cricket career alongside a corporate job has attracted attention.“Bihari kahan nahi hai, Bihari har jagah hai. You are underestimating a Bihari,” Anand says at the beginning of the video.The batting all-rounder, who is also a right-arm medium pacer, began playing softball cricket in Patna. However, academics remained his priority. He eventually captained the IIT Kanpur cricket team while pursuing his studies.His path to Japan began during campus placements when he received an offer from Accenture Japan. Rather than seeing it simply as a job opportunity, Anand began looking into the country’s cricket scene.“I thought the opportunity is nice and I started researching about Japan cricket and I saw there is a bit of hope so lets try our luck,” he recalled.Watch the video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by BBC News India (@bbcnewsindia) Anand moved to Japan in 2022 and initially had to juggle his corporate career with his ambitions on the cricket field. During weekends and national holidays, he trained and played matches for the Tokyo Falcons, a local cricket club.Story continues below this ad“Only thing was I had to continue performing and get seen by the selection committee,” Anand said. His performances eventually caught the attention of the Japan Cricket Association. Three years after moving to the country, he was called up to the national team.“After three years, the Japan Cricket Association called me to be a part of the national team,” Anand shared.While Anand missed out on playing in Japan’s one-off T20I against India, he hopes that opportunity could come in the future. He is particularly looking towards the 2028 T20 World Cup, if Japan qualifies.“Hopefully will play against India in upcoming years, maybe 2028, the T20 World Cup. Maybe Japan can be a part of it and I can be a part of the team, hopefully,” he said.Story continues below this adFor Anand, who once dreamed of representing India, the possibility carries a special meaning. “A boy who started dreaming of playing for India and now playing against India, that will be amazing,” Anand said.