Archive · 4 Sep 2026
India and Japan Set Historic T20I for 75-Year Ties
India and Japan are going to play a special cricket match.
It will be a short game called a T20 International.
The match is scheduled for September 22, 2026, in Japan.
It will be played for the Suzuki Cup.
The game will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
It will also begin a program called Sport 75, which uses sports to bring people together.
The BCCI hopes the match will help more people in Japan and East Asia learn about cricket.
The match is separate from the 2026 Asian Games, but it could give India useful practice before its campaign.
India and Japan will play a men’s T20 International on September 22, 2026.
The Suzuki Cup will be held at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
The match will mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
The fixture will launch “Sport 75,” an initiative promoting exchanges and sports cooperation between the countries.
The BCCI and Japan Cricket Association say the match will expand cricket’s reach in Japan and East Asia, while also giving India preparation ahead of the 2026 Asian Games.
- Who
- The men’s cricket teams of India and Japan, with the match organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Japan Cricket Association.
- What
- A one-match men’s T20 International for the Suzuki Cup; some reports describe it as the teams’ first-ever T20I against each other.
- When
- September 22, 2026, with the start time reported as 9:30 a.m. IST.
- Where
- Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
- Why
- To mark 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations, launch the Sport 75 initiative, expand cricket in Japan and East Asia, and provide India with match preparation ahead of the 2026 Asian Games.
- Match
- India vs Japan men’s T20 International
- Event name
- Suzuki Cup
- Date
- September 22, 2026
- Venue
- Sano International Cricket Ground, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
- Start time
- 9:30 a.m. IST
- Diplomatic milestone
- 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations
- Wider initiative
- Sport 75, focused on people-to-people exchanges and sports cooperation
- Asian Games context
- The match is scheduled during the 2026 Asian Games period and is described as separate from the Games
Sources
India, Japan To Play Historic Cricket Match To Mark 75 Years Of Relationship
Cricket’s new frontier: India to play Japan in historic T20I - Telegraph India
India, Japan To Play Historic Men's T20I Match Ahead of Asian Games 2026
India to face Japan in a T20I on September 22