Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a special announcement for the fans on Friday. The board informed that Team India will play a historic T20 International match against Japan before entering the Asian Games 2026. This will be the first match in cricket history between the teams of the two countries.

Historic match will be held on 22nd September

This match between India and Japan will be played on 22 September 2026 at the Sano International Cricket Ground located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

According to Indian time, the match will start at 9:30 am.

Let us tell you that the first match of the blue jersey team in the Asian Games is scheduled for 28th September. In such a situation, the match against Japan will be played six days before the Asian Games.

Special celebration of 75 years of friendship

India and Japan are celebrating 75 years of their diplomatic relations this year. To make this special occasion memorable, this match is being organized between the cricket teams of both the countries.

Indian Cricket Board shared this information through social media.

This match is part of the 'Sport 75' initiative. Its objective is to further strengthen the friendship and cooperation between India and Japan through sports. Under this initiative, both the countries will work towards increasing cooperation with each other in the field of sports. India's efforts to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games are also being linked to this initiative.

Devjit Saikia expressed happiness

Indian Cricket Board Secretary Devjit Saikia expressed happiness about India's tour of Japan.

He said that it is a matter of pride for the Indian team to go to Japan and play the match. According to him, this match is a good opportunity to promote cricket in Japan as well as in the entire East Asia.