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India to face Japan in historic T20I in Tochigi
05 Sep, 2026
The Suzuki Cup, being jointly organised by the Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will be played as part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations and is expected to provide a major boost to the growth of cricket in Japan
New Delhi: Japan will welcome India’s men’s cricket team for a landmark T20 International on September 22, with the reigning world champions set to take on the hosts at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture.
The Suzuki Cup, being jointly organised by the Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will be played as part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations and is expected to provide a major boost to the growth of cricket in Japan.
The match will also launch “Sport 75”, an initiative aimed at promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan through sport. The initiative follows an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and takes into account India’s ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.
BCCI honorary secretary Devajit Saikia said the fixture represented a significant moment for cricket, with the Indian team taking the sport into new territory and providing an opportunity to introduce it to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia.
“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,” Saikia said, while thanking the JCA for making the fixture possible.
Saikia added that the BCCI was committed to expanding cricket beyond its traditional territories and would work with the JCA to strengthen the sport in Japan in the years ahead.
JCA CEO Naoki Miyaji described the occasion as a landmark for Japanese cricket, saying it was a major opportunity to welcome the reigning world champions to the home of cricket in Japan.
The JCA also urged local residents curious about the sport to attend the match and support the Japanese team, calling it an occasion that could leave a lasting impact on the growth of cricket in the country.
Japan, Cricket, India, BCCI, Suzuki Cup, Sano International Cricket Ground