Ranji Trophy: Sikkim defeat Arunachal by 104 runs, register second win

Sikkim defended a target of 300 and beat Arunachal Pradesh for 195 runs, marking their second Ranji Trophy win.

Captain Lee Yong Lepcha led with an impressive five-wicket haul (5-38), while Ankur Malik supported strongly with four wickets.

Malik, who took six wickets in the first innings, ended with a match haul of 10 wickets and won the Player of the Match award.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Sikkim posted a solid first-innings total of 424 runs with Ashish Thapa and Vice Captain Palzor Tamang registering centuries. 

Thapa scored 157 runs, his second 150+ score in First Class cricket, while Tamang’s brisk 103 off 129 balls contributed to a strong 175-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Arunachal began their first innings well, reaching 249-3. However, Sikkim’s bowlers mounted a comeback with Malik taking six wickets and Ronit More taking three. Sikkim bowled Arunachal out for 295 runs.

With a little over four sessions of play left, Sikkim adopted an aggressive approach in the second innings. Sikkim lost quick wickets in the process but managed to score 170 runs in 36.2 overs, setting a target of 300. 

From there it was all Lepcha and Malik. The two spinners shared nine wickets between them as Arunachal were bowled out in 62.3 overs.

With the win, Sikkim earned six points. The team will next travel to Dimapur to face Nagaland in another away game.

President, Tika Subba describes the victory as a “special Diwali gift” for all Sikkimese cricket fans and applauds the team’s efforts and determination on the field. 

He has commended Captain Lee Yong Lepcha, Ankur Malik, Ashish Thapa, Palzor Tamang and the entire squad for their commitment and teamwork which brought this crucial win.