Cricket is set to create a new chapter in India-Japan sporting relations as the two countries prepare for their first-ever men’s T20 International. In fact, BCCI President Mithun Manhas and the Indian team met Japanese ambassador to India ONO Keiichi in New Delhi ahead of the historic match.
In the meeting, the Japanese envoy had a Daruma, a traditional good luck charm from Japan, which added a cultural factor to a game that goes beyond cricket.
Historic India-Japan T20I
India and Japan will meet in the Suzuki Cup on September 22, 2026, on the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The Japan Cricket Association and BCCI have jointly announced the match date on September 4.
The match will be the first men's T20 International between India and Japan. It is also part of celebrations for the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The game is being presented as the first step of the “Sport 75” initiative, which seeks to encourage sporting cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between India and Japan.
Daruma Adds Cultural Significance
The Daruma is known in Japan as a symbol of perseverance, good fortune, and achieving goals. The presentation of the Daruma to the Indian delegation adds a cultural aspect to the pre-match interaction.
This gesture also resonates with the wider relationship between India and Japan as sport is used for greater interaction between people of the two nations.
Building friendships and strengthening bonds over cricket🇮🇳🤝🇯🇵
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 16, 2026
BCCI President Mr Mithun Manhas and Team India members met with His Excellency ONO Keiichi, Ambassador of Japan to India in Delhi, ahead of the historic Japan-India bilateral T20I. Mr Ambassador presented The… pic.twitter.com/LKX8bcpARw
Mithun Manhas and Team India
BCCI President Mithun Manhas has been involved in the build-up to the historic match as Indian cricket is preparing for its first senior international match against Japan.
The BCCI had already announced that India will visit Japan for the special T20I. The match is an opportunity to take Indian cricket into new territories and to bring the sport to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia, it said.
When Is India vs Japan?
The historic match will be played on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture.
According to the Japan Cricket Association, the match will start at 1:00 PM Japan Standard Time (9:30 AM IST).
