India will play Japan for the first time in international cricket on Tuesday. The match is a one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground. It comes just before India’s campaign at the Asian Games 2026. That tournament runs from September 24 to October 3 in Aichi-Nagoya. India are the defending champions. They won gold at the last edition in Hangzhou in 2023.
Japan have been an ICC Associate Member since 2005. They are still catching up with the top cricket nations. Captain Shreyas Iyer spoke at a press conference on Monday. He said he had seen a few reels of the Japanese players. He added that the team will study them more. He is excited for the game. He hopes it does not rain so the fans can enjoy a competitive match.
Iyer said the trip to Japan is different from usual tours. India often travels to Australia, England, and New Zealand. This is their first time in Japan. He said the culture and people are very different, especially in terms of discipline. He likes to embrace new cultures quickly. He called it a new challenge and said he is looking forward to it. He also said cricket is growing in every country. He believes the match will be exciting.
All-rounder Washington Sundar shared similar thoughts. He said India have two big events coming up. The first is the game against Japan. He called it a historic moment for the sport. He said the team is grateful to be part of it. He also spoke about the Asian Games. India will prepare in Tokyo. He said everyone is excited to experience the facilities and get ready.
Sundar was part of India’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2023 Asian Games. He also spoke about cricket returning to the Olympics in 2028. He said it is a big stage. More countries will compete. He said winning a gold medal at the Olympics would be a massive blessing.
India come into this match after a dominant 3-0 T20I series win over Afghanistan. Sundar is confident about the team’s white-ball strength. He said India have always been unstoppable in this format. He said the team will prepare well in Tokyo. Their goal is to have a great set of games at the Asian Games and win the gold medal.
India and Japan Set for Historic T20I Clash Before Asian Games
India will play Japan in a historic T20 match on Tuesday. It is the first time the two men’s teams will meet in international cricket. The match will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground. It is part of the Suzuki Cup. The game starts at 12:00 PM Indian Standard Time.
This match is also the first event under Sport 75. That is an initiative to promote sporting exchanges between India and Japan. The two countries are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. The match serves as a final warm-up for both teams before the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
India come into the match after a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan in New Delhi. Shreyas Iyer will captain the team. Tilak Varma is his deputy. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur form the pace attack. Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also in the squad.
India have made some changes to their squad. Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of both the Japan T20I and the Asian Games. He has a side strain. Leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam will replace him. Harshit Rana was earlier ruled out with a thigh muscle injury. Yash Thakur replaced him. Nitish Kumar Reddy has also been withdrawn from the Asian Games squad.
Japan will field the same squad that they have picked for the Asian Games. Their captain is Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming. He is Japan’s all-time leading T20I run-scorer. Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb are the other two players in the squad with more than 50 T20I appearances.
The Indian squad includes Shreyas Iyer as captain, along with Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan as wicketkeepers, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma as vice-captain, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, and Vipraj Nigam.
The Japan squad includes Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming as captain, along with Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi and Alex Shirai-Patmore as wicketkeepers, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, and Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake.
FAQs
Q. When will India play Japan in T20I cricket?
A. India will play Japan on September 22, 2026.
Q. Where will India vs Japan be played?
A. The match will be played at Sano International Cricket Ground.
Q. Who is India’s captain against Japan?
A. Shreyas Iyer is India’s captain.
Q. Who is Japan’s captain?
A. Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming is Japan’s captain.
Q. Where can fans watch India vs Japan?
A. Fans can stream it on FanCode and watch it on Star Sports.
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