India, Japan to play first T20 cricket match

India and Japan will face off this month in their first-ever Twenty20 men's international cricket match against each other, India's cricket board announced Friday.

The match will be held at Japan's Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22, celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two Asian nations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.

BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia called it "a significant moment for cricket", taking reigning world champions India to "new territory" and introducing the sport to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia.

Japan Cricket Association chief executive Naoki Miyaji said he hopes that the match will encourage Japanese curious about cricket to come and cheer.

Taking note of India's ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, the BCCI said the initiative aims to promote human exchanges and cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sports.