THREE SIKKIM PLAYERS IN NORTH EAST ZONE SQUAD FOR DULEEP TROPHY 2025
Guwahati, August 12:
The North East Zonal Selection Committee met in Guwahati on August 11 to finalise the 15-member NE Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The meeting was attended by selectors from six NE states (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim) that comprise the NE Zone.
From Sikkim, the following three players have been selected in the squad:
Mr. Ashish Thapa (Wicket-keeper batsman)
Mr. Ankur Malik (all-rounder)
Mr. Palzor Tamang (all-rounder)
Additionally, the committee has named seven Stand-by players, which includes Mr. Lee Yong Lepcha from Sikkim.
Mr. Sonam Palden Bhutia, the Senior Men's Team coach of Sikkim, has been appointed the Assistant Coach of the North East Zone team.
Prior to the tournament, a one-week camp will be held at Nagaland Cricket Association Ground in Dimapur from August 18 to 24.
The Duleep Trophy will be held in Karnataka this year, with the facilities in newly constructed BCCI Centre of Excellence being used for the games.
This will be the 62nd edition of the Duleep Trophy, a premier domestic first-class cricket competition in India. The tournament has returned to a zonal format this year, featuring six teams, viz. Central Zone, East Zone, North Zone, North East Zone, South Zone and West Zone.
The North East Zone team has featured in Duleep Trophy since 2022, when the zonal format was reinstated and expanded to include them. They also competed in the 2023 edition.
In 2024, the tournament was contested by four teams, viz. India A, B, C, and D, deviating from the usual zonal structure.
This season, the Duleep Trophy will follow a knockout format, unlike last year’s round-robin format. The finalists from the previous zonal edition (2023), South Zone and West Zone, will directly play in the semifinals.
The other four teams – Central, East, North and North East – will compete in the quarterfinals. NEZ will face Central Zone.
The first two quarterfinals are scheduled for August 28-31.