India to play one-off T20I against Japan in Tochigi on September 22, 2026

India will play a one-off T20I against Japan at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The match is scheduled to start at 9:30 AM IST.

The fixture is India’s final game before the Asian Games 2026 and comes a few days after India completed a 3-0 T20I series win over Afghanistan in New Delhi. Abhishek Sharma was a prominent performer in that series, scoring a 30-ball century in the third T20I. The encounter will be the first time India and Japan meet in men’s international cricket and is being staged under the Suzuki Cup as part of the Sport 75 initiative marking 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations.

Shreyas Iyer will captain the Indian side for the match, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is included in the squad and could get a chance to play after sitting out the Afghanistan series. Sanju Samson, who scored two half-centuries against Afghanistan, is also part of India’s squad for the Japan game.

Japan will be led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, who is their leading run-scorer in T20Is. The hosts have indicated they will treat the fixture seriously as they prepare to face India for the first time in men’s international cricket.

The Japan vs India T20I will be telecast live on Star Sports 1 in India and in Hindi on Star Sports 1 Hindi. For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.

The Japan vs India one-off T20I will be played on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi, starting at 9:30 AM IST.