New Delhi: The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced a T20 International between the men’s teams of India and Japan to mark the launch of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations.
The Suzuki Cup will be played on September 22, 2026, at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, the BCCI said in a statement.
The match will also launch ‘Sport 75’, an initiative to promote people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan through sports.
The initiative follows an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also takes into account India’s ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.
Devajit Saikia, BCCI Secretary, described the fixture as a significant moment for cricket, noting that it will take the Indian team to a new destination while helping introduce the sport to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia.
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
“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 added.
Saikia emphasized that the BCCI would work with the JCA to support the development of cricket in Japan and strengthen ties between the two associations.
JCA Chief Executive Officer Naoki Miyaji emphasized that hosting the reigning world champions would be a landmark occasion for Japanese cricket.
Miyaji thanked the BCCI for supporting the fixture and encouraged both Indian cricket fans and Japanese audiences interested in the sport to attend the match and support the teams.
