JAIPUR: Sikkim didn’t win a match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season, but their three-week stint in Jaipur may still prove a turning point. Up against seven stronger sides in Elite Group C, the northeast team finished last, as expected. Yet, armed with the experience, they will go back with a clearer roadmap of what it will take to compete.Their defining moment arrived early. On Dec 24, under the lights at a packed Sawai Mansingh Stadium against mighty Mumbai, Rohit Sharma hit a blistering 155 off 94 balls against them.
Sikkim, however, refused to go down tamely and replied with 236, giving the underdogs something tangible to build on.“It was a dream day for the team. For every Sikkim player, playing against Rohit Sharma was a dream come true. It was also a moment of pride for us that we scored 236 against Mumbai in front of around 20,000 spectators,” said Sikkim coach Bikash Pradhan.Pradhan felt the campaign offered proof that the gap can be narrowed.“We put up a very good fight against Goa, Uttarakhand and Mumbai. Against Goa, we scored 247/7 while chasing a target of 310. It gave us a lot of confidence that we can also match some of the best teams if we can improve our local cricket,” he said.Much of that push, Sikkim believe, will come from facilities. Cricket is largely centred in Rangpo, where a floodlit ground has hosted BCCI matches for the last few years, with two more grounds being developed at the same premises.The momentum has also extended to the women’s team, which won the plate division of the BCCI Senior Women’s T20 Trophy — Sikkim’s first national title.“In a couple of months, we’ll have three grounds. We have six districts and if we improve facilities, we can conduct regular inter-district tournaments,” said Sikkim manager Rajen Gurung.“We will soon have indoor cricket facilities. BCCI is supporting us a lot.”With the Sikkim Cricket Association advertising for a professional coach and cricket director, captain Lee Yong Lepcha sounded hopeful.“If we can get a quality coach, nothing can stop us from being competitive,” he said.
