Sikkim cricket team

Sikkim cricket team
Personnel
CaptainLee Yong Lepcha
CoachSanjeev Sharma
OwnerSikkim Cricket Association
Team information
Founded2018
Home groundMining Cricket Stadium, Rangpo
History
First-class debutManipur
in 2018
at Jadavpur University Campus Ground, Kolkata
Ranji Trophy wins0
Vijay Hazare Trophy wins0
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy wins0

The Sikkim cricket team is a cricket team that represents the state of Sikkim in Indian domestic competitions. In July 2018, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named the team as one of the nine new sides that would compete in domestic tournaments for the 2018–19 season, including the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.[1][2][3] However, prior to the start of the tournament, the team did not have a ground to play first-class cricket on.[4] Unlike some of the other new teams, Sikkim decided to enter their first List A competition with a team made up entirely of home-grown players.[5] Ahead of the 2018–19 season, Sanjeev Sharma was appointed as the team's coach.[6]

In September 2018, they lost their opening fixture of the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, to Manipur, by 10 wickets.[7][8] In the Round 8 fixture against Bihar, Sikkim were bowled out for 46 runs, with Bihar winning by 292 runs, the biggest margin of defeat by runs in Indian domestic cricket.[9] In their first season in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, they finished in last place in the Plate Group, losing all eight matches.[10] Lee Yong Lepcha finished as the leading run-scorer, with 214 runs, and Mandup Bhutia was the leading wicket-taker for the team, with five dismissals.[11]

In November 2018, in their opening match of the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy, they beat Manipur by an innings and 27 runs.[12][13] In the sixth round of fixtures, Milind Kumar became the first batsman to score 1,000 runs in this edition of the tournament.[14] He did so in the match against Mizoram, in his ninth innings of the competition.[15] They finished the 2018–19 tournament fifth in the table, with four wins from their eight matches.[16]

In March 2019, Sikkim finished in last place in Group C of the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with no wins from their six matches.[17] Milind Kumar was the leading run-scorer for the team in the tournament, with 159 runs, and Bipul Sharma was the leading wicket-taker, with seven dismissals.[18] However, he left the team ahead of the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy tournament.[19]

  1. ^ "Nine new teams in Ranji Trophy 2018–19". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Logistical nightmare on cards as BCCI announces 37-team Ranji Trophy for 2018–19 season". Indian Express. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  3. ^ "BCCI to host over 2000 matches in the upcoming 2018–19 domestic season". BCCI. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Ground reality hits Northeast states before first-class debut". Sport Star Live. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  5. ^ Ravidas, Rajeev. "Modi lauds Sikkim cricketer century". Telegraph India. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  6. ^ "BCCI eases entry for new domestic teams as logistical challenges emerge". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018–19, Plate Group wrap: Wins for Meghalaya, Manipur and Bihar". Cricket Country. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Plate Group, Vijay Hazare Trophy at Vadodara, Sep 20 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Vidarbha have a new star, Nadeem strikes again, Vinay Kumar loses captaincy". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  10. ^ "2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy Table". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Vijay Hazare Trophy, 2018/19 – Sikkim: Batting and bowling averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Ranji Trophy Takeaways: Unadkat Picks Seven; Mumbai in Command Against Railways". Network18 Media and Investments Ltd. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Ranji Trophy: Sikkim record innings victory over Manipur". The Indian Express. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Ranji Trophy 2018/19: Milind Kumar, playing for Sikkim, enters the record books". News Nation. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  15. ^ "Milind Kumar: from being sidelined in Delhi to 1000 in the Ranji Trophy". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  16. ^ "Ranji Trophy Table – 2018–19". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019: Points Table". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, 2018/19 – Sikkim: Batting and bowling averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  19. ^ "Ranji Trophy: Milind Kumar parts ways with Sikkim after one season". Sport Star. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.