India’s First International Cricket Match Against Japan

India and Japan are set to face each other for the first time in men’s senior international cricket. The special T20 International will be played on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi, Japan. The match is being held as the Suzuki Cup. Ahead of the historic fixture, Japanese Ambassador to India ONO Keiichi met BCCI President Mithun Manhas and members of Team India in Delhi. The ambassador presented the Indian team with a traditional Japanese Daruma good-luck charm and described the meeting as a “new innings of friendship.”

The match is part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan and will serve as the first step of the Sport 75 initiative. The programme aims to strengthen sporting cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 pm Japan time, which is 9:30 am IST. The fixture is also expected to help introduce cricket to a wider Japanese audience and support the sport’s growth in the country.