Kolkata : India will play their first T20I game ever against Japan to launch the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations.
The Suzuki Cup will take place at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture on Tuesday, 22nd September 2026.
The 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 Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and aims to promote human exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sports, taking note of India’s ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.
BCCI Honorary Secretary, Devajit Saikia, said on announcing the series : “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. This is a significant moment for cricket, as it takes the Indian team to new territory and provides an opportunity to introduce the sport 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, and we thank the Japan Cricket Association (JCA) for its efforts in making this fixture possible.
“The BCCI believes that the growth of cricket must extend beyond its traditional territories, and as the world’s largest cricket board, we recognise our responsibility to contribute to that growth.
“The BCCI will work closely with the JCA to further strengthen cricket in Japan and to build on this relationship in the years ahead.”
JCA CEO Naoki Miyaji said: “To be able to invite the reigning World Champions to then home of cricket in Japan is a landmark moment for our association. We thank the BCCI for working with us towards this goal and greatly look forward to welcoming the passion of Indian cricket fans, and we actively encourage any local Japanese people curious about cricket to come and cheer on our team in what will be a truly memorable occasion.”
Cricket was introduced to Japan in the 1860s, by the British, but did not become organised until the 1980s, when the Japan Cricket Association was formed. They became an affiliate member of the ICC in 1989,and the national team first played in the 1996 ACC Trophy, losing all their games including a 380 run defeat by Fiji. They continued without success in the 1998 tournament and the 2000 tournament.
After the 2000 ACC Trophy, they left the Asian Cricket Council and became part of the ICC’s East Asia/Pacific region. They played in the East Asia Eights tournament in Australia in February 2002, finishing as runners-up to an Australian indigenous team. Indonesia and South Korea were the other teams in the tournament.In 2004, they hosted the East Asia Pacific Cricket Challenge tournament as part of qualification for the 2007 World Cup, finishing third after beating Indonesia in a play-off.In June 2005, Japan were promoted to associate membership of the ICC and that year they played in the 2005 ICC EAP Cricket Cup in Vanuatu, winning the tournament after beating the Cook Islands in the final.The following year they played in the 2006 ICC EAP Cricket Trophy in Brisbane finishing last in the three team tournament that also involved Fiji and the Cook Islands.
In December 2007 Japan took part in the 2007 ICC EAP Cricket Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand, playing against the Cook Islands, Indonesia, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. Japan won the tournament and qualified for Division Five of the World Cricket League where they finished in tenth place out of the twelve countries represented in Jersey.
On 22 March 2016, it was announced that Sano, Tochigi, would be home to the Sano International Cricket Ground, which will become Japan’s first dedicated purpose-built cricketing venue which no longer had to compete with other sports for usage.
On 9 October 2022, Japan played their first ever T20 international match against Indonesia. In January 2023 it was announced that Japan and Indonesia would be included in Asian Cricket Council (ACC) pathway events, while remaining in the ICC East Asia-Pacific development region. Japan was formally readmitted to ACC membership in January 2024, with Indonesia also joining as a member.
Japan will be participating at 2022 Asian Games cricket tournament. They were placed in a group along with Cambodia and Hong Kong. This will be the Japan national cricket team’s first appearance at the Asian Games.
In recent years, the Japan Cricket Association has been actively promoting the game in Japan by conducting many professional ODI and T20 leagues, such as the Japan Cricket League and Japan Cup. The JCA has also designed a cricket blast programme to teach 8-12-year-old school children.Cricket in Japan is also being bolstered by immigrants from India, Pakistan, Australia, Britain, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Till now, Japan have played 61 T20Is, winning 41, losing 18, a draw and 1 match ending with No Result.
The series on September 22 means Japan fixture will come between India’s entry into the Asian Games and the start of Japan’s own campaign, giving the occasion an added competitive significance even though it is primarily designed as a celebration of bilateral ties.
Japan, ranked 41st in the world, will get the rare opportunity to face India, the reigning world champions, on home soil. For Indian cricket, meanwhile, it represents another step into territory where the sport has traditionally had little presence.
This exhibition match would take place simultaneously but separately from the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, where cricket will begin on September 17, starting with the women’s competition.
India has not confirmed the squad for this match, but it would likely be the same as the Asian Games party. If so, a few members of the Indian contingent, like Tilak Varma and Ravi Bishnoi, would have fond memories of playing Japan in the 2020 edition of the Under-19 World Cup.
