India to face Japan in first men's T20I on Tuesday

India and Japan will meet in a senior men's T20I for the first time on Tuesday at the Sano International Cricket Ground. The match forms part of the Sport 75 initiative marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Japan Cricket Association has upgraded facilities at Sano to host the fixture, including temporary seating and security protocols. Registered players in Japan have grown from 3,000 to 8,800 over the past twelve years, though the sport still competes with baseball for mainstream attention.

India are ranked second in the world while Japan sit 41st. The match serves as preparation before both teams travel to Nagoya for the Asian Games cricket competition.