India to play Japan in historic T20I

The reigning T20 world champions India will play Japan for the first time in an international match when the teams meet at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi on September 22, the two cricket boards said on Friday.

The T20 fixture will mark the first time Japan will face a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in men's cricket.

"To be able to invite the reigning World Champions to the home of cricket in Japan is a landmark moment for our association," JCA Chief Executive Naoki Miyaji said in a statement.

Japan became an Affiliate Member of the ICC in 1989 before gaining Associate status in 2005.

The Suzuki Cup match will be the first step of 'Sport 75', an initiative that stems from an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi earlier this year.

"The BCCI is delighted to be part of this historic occasion as the Indian and Japanese men’s teams come together for a special T20 International in Japan," BCCI Honorary Secretary, Devajit Saikia, said.

"India and Japan share a strong and longstanding relationship and friendship, and we are pleased that cricket will be part of the celebrations marking 75 years of bilateral relations between the two countries," he added.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴!

India🇮🇳 🤝 Japan🇯🇵#TeamIndia set to play a historic T20I against Japan to launch the celebrations of the 7️⃣5️⃣th Anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations. 👏👏@CricketJapan

All The Details 🔽https://t.co/vxdhuT1tgp pic.twitter.com/DQmPncvefH

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 4, 2026