Japan to host India in historic one-off T20I

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Friday that the men's cricket teams of the two nations will compete in a one-time T20I match to kick off the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations. This September, the two teams will compete in their first-ever international match at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture.

The board stated in a release that this competition will be the first step of "Sport 75," an initiative that is the result of an agreement that was reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and aims to promote human exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sports. It will take note of India's ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.

Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, said, "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." He was referring to the historic decision. This is a big moment for cricket because it takes the Indian team to new places and gives them a chance to show the sport to more people in Japan and East Asia.

“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. India and Japan share a strong and longstanding relationship and friendship.

“As the largest cricket board in the world, we are aware of our responsibility to contribute to that growth. The BCCI is of the opinion that cricket's expansion must extend beyond its traditional territories. In order to strengthen cricket in Japan even further and to build on this relationship in the years to come, the BCCI and the JCA will collaborate closely.

"To be able to invite the reigning World Champions to the home of cricket in Japan is a landmark moment for our association," said Naoki Miyaji, the CEO of the Japan Cricket Association. We are extremely appreciative of the BCCI's assistance in achieving this objective, and we actively encourage any local Japanese people who are interested in cricket to attend and support our team in what will be a truly memorable occasion.