India, Japan to play historic T20I in Sano as cricket marks 75 years of diplomatic relations

India and Japan will face each other for the first time in international cricket when their men’s teams play a historic T20 International in Japan later this month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Japan Cricket Association (JCA) announced on Friday. The Suzuki Cup will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture on September 22.

The match will launch celebrations linked to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Japan and serve as the first event under the “Sport 75” initiative. The programme emerged from an agreement reached during a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and seeks to promote sporting cooperation and greater people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Cricket enters new territory

BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia described the fixture as an important moment for the sport, saying it would take the Indian team into new territory and introduce cricket to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia. He said India and Japan share a longstanding relationship and cricket would now become part of celebrations marking the bilateral milestone.

Saikia said the BCCI believes cricket’s growth must extend beyond its traditional territories and that the board recognises its responsibility to contribute to that expansion. The BCCI would work closely with the JCA to strengthen the game in Japan and develop the relationship further in the coming years, he added.

Landmark moment for Japan

JCA CEO Naoki Miyaji called the visit of the reigning T20 world champions a landmark moment for Japanese cricket. He thanked the BCCI for helping make the fixture possible and said the association was looking forward to welcoming Indian supporters while also encouraging Japanese spectators unfamiliar with cricket to attend the match.

The fixture will also provide both teams with preparation ahead of the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games. Japan will compete in the group stage, while India is scheduled to enter directly at the quarter-final stage. India will head into the tournament as defending Asian Games champions as well as reigning T20 world champions.