India will take on Japan in a historic one-off T20I on Tuesday in their official national jersey, with the fixture forming part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Shreyas Iyer-led Indian side will wear the official Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) colours for the match at the Sano International Cricket Ground rather than the kit designated for the Asian Games, a Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) source told ANI.
“Team India will wear the BCCI jersey for the match against Japan. The team has received its Asian Games kit for the rest of the tournament, and the issue has been resolved,” the MYAS source said.
The source further clarified that the Japan game is a friendly fixture and is not part of the Asian Games competition, which is why India will wear its regular kit. The team had earlier faced an issue with the sizing of its official Asian Games kit, but that has now been resolved.
“The team will play the match against Japan in their normal kit as the match doesn’t belong to the Asian Games; it’s a friendly match. But for the rest of the tournament, the size issue has been resolved and they have received their kit for the tournament,” the MYAS source added.
The Japan fixture comes just two days before the men’s cricket competition begins at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where India and Japan will be joined by eight other teams. India, the defending champions, will begin their Asian Games campaign on September 28 in the quarter-final stage.
Tuesday’s game will mark the first international cricket meeting between India and Japan, making it a landmark occasion for the sport in the country. The match will also formally kick off celebrations for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
The fixture is the flagship event of ‘Sport 75’, a broader bilateral initiative aimed at promoting sporting exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan. The initiative stems from an agreement reached at a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the occasion represents an important step for cricket’s expansion into new 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.
“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,” Saikia had said in a statement.
India’s squad for Japan T20I and Asian Games
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, Vipraj Nigam.
The Suzuki Cup will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22.