Sano: India skipper Shreyas Iyer believes cricket’s reach is expanding into uncharted territories as his team prepares to take on Japan in a historic bilateral T20 match on Tuesday.

The fixture, hosted at the Sano International Cricket Ground roughly 100 kilometers from Tokyo, marks the first-ever international cricket match between the two nations and forms part of the celebrations commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan. The Indian squad arrived on Sunday and will head to Nagoya for the Asian Games following the game.

Visits by top-tier Indian cricketers to non-traditional cricketing nations like Japan remain rare, but Iyer sees it as a sign of the sport's global evolution.

"No, I never thought about it, but yes, I mean, cricket is picking up in every country now, and all the teams are becoming dominant in their own ways, so I'm sure this will be an exciting match as well tomorrow," Iyer said.

Incessant rain forced the Indian team to cancel its scheduled training session ahead of the clash, but the captain shared warm initial impressions of the host nation.

"It's beautiful. The time we landed, we saw the people, very cordial, generous, and helpful in nature, which we see it back at home as well. The hospitality is brilliant," said Iyer. "It's too early to talk about it (only been a day), but I've heard special things from people about Japan as a country and Tokyo as a city as well, so looking forward to explore more."

Despite limited familiarisation with local conditions and the opposition, Iyer expressed confidence and enthusiasm for the upcoming match, weather permitting.

"Yes, it is going to be a thrilling and exciting match for us. This is the first time we will be playing Japan, and I don't know much about the conditions, the wicket, but looking forward to have a great match," he explained.

"I saw a little bit of reels going here and there, but yes, we will be doing our studies and knowing about the players more, and super excited for the game tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn't rain, and all the viewers and the spectators who will be coming to the stadium will get a nice competitive game," Iyer added.

Adjusting to Japan’s distinct culture, discipline, and environment has offered the squad a refreshing change from their usual international tours.

"Yes, definitely it's completely different from what we've been used to doing in terms of going to Australia, England, New Zealand," Iyer said. "It's our very first time, and the culture and the people are very different in terms of how they are in terms of discipline. I'm someone who loves to embrace new culture and get used to the vibe and the accommodation as quickly as possible, so this is a new challenge for us."

During the media interaction, attention also turned to the role of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in unearthing young talent, highlighting 15-year-old phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

"I feel that it's a great platform for them to showcase their talent. Recently there is a youngster in our team, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, he came up the ranks through IPL and that's basically a solid platform for everyone who is seeking to showcase their talent and come up the ranks," Iyer said.

"I feel that it's also a great platform to come into the Indian team because whenever you perform in the IPL, the eyes are always on you and you get recognised pretty quick," he added. (PTI)