Manipur wins BCCI U-16 boys Vijay Merchant Trophy after defeating Meghalaya in Jharkhand

Manipur was engulfed in celebrations on January 5th, 2024, following the victory of its U-16 boys' cricket team, which clinched the BCCI Men's U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy for the 2023-24 season. This marked Manipur's first championship title in the Plate Group category of this prestigious tournament. The young cricketers achieved this remarkable feat by defeating Meghalaya with a convincing margin—an innings and 35 runs—at Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

The Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh, and other dignitaries such as BJP legislator and President of the Manipur Cricket Association (MNCA), RK Imo Singh, expressed their immense pride and extended their heartfelt congratulations to the team. In recognition of this extraordinary accomplishment, RK Imo Singh announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for the team and the support staff. A grand felicitation event is also planned to honor the victorious team in Imphal on January 9th.

The U-16 team's success follows in the footsteps of the Manipur senior men's team, which also made history by securing promotion to the Ranji Trophy Elite Group. The junior team's performance was particularly notable with key players like Md Danish and Naesh Hussain delivering outstanding bowling figures, while skipper Sougaijam Robinson contributed a stellar unbeaten century in the final match.

Manipur's journey to the trophy included comprehensive group stage victories against Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya, as well as a draw with Sikkim, leading them to top their group. They continued their dominant form into the semi-finals, securing an innings and 114-run victory against Mizoram before facing Meghalaya in the finals.

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