New Delhi: The Indian men’s cricket team will take on Japan in their first-ever T20 International September 22, marking the launch of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations.
The match, to be played in Sano in Japan, will offer the Indian team valuable game time to fine-tune combinations and build momentum ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.
“The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are delighted to announce that the men’s teams from each nation will play a T20 International match to launch the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations,” said BCCI in a statement.
The teams will compete for the Suzuki Cup at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
“The match will be the first step of ‘Sport 75’, an initiative that stems from an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and aims to promote human exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sports, taking note of India’s ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036,” the statement added.
The Indian team will be led by Shreyas Iyer, with vice-captain Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi among the key names in the squad.
India are the defending Asian Games champions after claiming gold at the previous edition in Hangzhou, China, where their final against Afghanistan was washed out by rain and they were awarded the title on the basis of their higher T20I seeding.
Seeded directly into the knockout stage, India will begin their Asian Games campaign in the quarterfinals September 28.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the India-Japan clash will provide cricket with a platform to expand its footprint and reach new, uncharted territories.
“The BCCI is delighted to be part of this historic occasion as the Indian and Japanese men’s teams come together for a special T20 International in Japan. This is a significant moment for cricket, as it takes the Indian team to new territory and provides an opportunity to introduce the sport to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia,” said Saikia.
“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, and we thank the Japan Cricket Association (JCA) for its efforts in making this fixture possible,” he added.
He said it was the responsibility of the world’s largest cricket board to take the sport beyond its traditional strongholds and into new territories.
“The BCCI believes that the growth of cricket must extend beyond its traditional territories, and as the world’s largest cricket board, we recognise our responsibility to contribute to that growth.
“The BCCI will work closely with the JCA to further strengthen cricket in Japan and to build on this relationship in the years ahead.”
JCA CEO Naoki Miyaji said: “To be able to invite the reigning world champions to the home of cricket in Japan is a landmark moment for our association.
“We thank the BCCI for working with us towards this goal and greatly look forward to welcoming the passion of Indian cricket fans, and we actively encourage any local Japanese people curious about cricket to come and cheer on our team in what will be a truly memorable occasion.”