India and Japan to play historic first T20I match

India and Japan are set to play a historic oneoff Twenty20 International cricket match on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, marking the first senior men's international between the two nations. The fixture, dubbed the Suzuki Cup, will be held at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi, Japan, and is part of celebrations for 75 years of diplomatic ties between the countries. The Indian team, led by Shreyas Iyer, arrived in Japan on Monday, September 21, ahead of the match and their subsequent Asian Games campaign. The squad includes prominent players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Ravi Bishnoi. The biggest selection question surrounding the Indian team is whether teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will make his international debut. The 15-year-old was part of India's squad for the recent series against Afghanistan but did not play in any of the three matches. Japan, ranked 41st in the world, will field the same squad selected for their Asian Games campaign. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming stated his team is not in the Kanto region just to make up the numbers.