Japan are set to host India in a historic one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture on Tuesday, September 22. The fixture marks the first-ever meeting between the two countries in men’s international cricket and comes as both teams prepare for the 2026 Asian Games.
Japan will view the contest as a major opportunity to test themselves against one of the world’s leading T20I sides. Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming will lead the hosts, who have several experienced players in their squad, including Ibrahim Takahashi and Declan Suzuki-McComb. Japan have also selected their Asian Games-eligible group for the fixture.
India, meanwhile, will use the match as preparation for their Asian Games campaign. Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, with players such as Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah included in the squad. India enter the fixture after completing a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan.
JPN vs IND: Match details
| Match | Japan vs India, Only T20I, India tour of Japan 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, September 22, 2026 |
| Time | 9:30 AM IST / 1:00 PM local |
| Venue | Sano International Cricket Ground, Tochigi, Japan |
| Competition | Suzuki Cup 2026 |
| Broadcast | Star Sports Network |
| Live streaming | FanCode |
The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM local time in Japan, with the toss at 12:30 PM local time.
Sano International Cricket Ground: Pitch report
The Sano International Cricket Ground is hosting this historic India-Japan men’s international. The surface has been described as potentially slow, which could bring Japan’s spin options into the contest and make stroke-making more challenging than India’s players might expect.
Weather is also an important factor. Heavy rain from Typhoon Dujuan affected the region before the match and disrupted India’s preparations, while Japan’s T20I against Hong Kong at the same venue on September 20 was abandoned without a toss. The condition of the outfield could therefore influence the match.
JPN vs IND: Head-to-head record in T20Is
Japan and India have never previously met in men’s international cricket. Therefore, there is no head-to-head record between the two sides.
| Matches | Japan | India | Tie | No result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
JPN vs IND: Predicted playing XIs
Japan
- Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake
- Reo Sakurano-Thomas
- Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (C)
- Benjamin Ito-Davis
- Charlie Hara-Hinze
- Ibrahim Takahashi
- Alester Kadowaki-Fleming
- Wataru Miyauchi (WK)
- Declan Suzuki-McComb
- Makoto Taniyama
- Shoma Sugaya-Slater
Japan’s squad also includes Tsuyoshi Takada, Shirai-Patmore, Kohei Kubota and Jake Kusuda-Nairn, so the final XI could differ from the predicted combination.
India
- Abhishek Sharma
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Ishan Kishan
- Shreyas Iyer (C)
- Tilak Varma
- Shivam Dube
- Washington Sundar
- Axar Patel
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
- Ravi Bishnoi
India’s squad also contains Sanju Samson, Yash Thakur and Vipraj Nigam, giving the visitors several selection options before the toss.
JPN vs IND: Probable best performers
Probable best batter: Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma will be one of India’s main batting threats at the top of the order. The left-hander arrives after an outstanding T20I run and will be looking to provide India with another fast start against Japan.
Probable best bowler: Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah adds considerable experience to India’s bowling attack. His pace, accuracy and ability to operate effectively in different phases of a T20 innings make him one of the key players for India in the historic contest.
JPN vs IND: Match prediction
India have considerably more experience at the international level, while Japan will enter the contest with home conditions and the opportunity to play without the same expectations as their opponents.
The slower Sano surface could make the contest more competitive, particularly if Japan’s spinners find the right lengths. However, India’s depth with both bat and ball gives them a significant advantage on paper.
India will start as favourites, but Japan will be aiming to make the historic occasion competitive.
