SHILLONG:
In the U-23 men’s Col CK Nayudu Trophy match between Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya at the MCA Ground, Arunachal Pradesh dominated the first day’s play.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Meghalaya faced a challenging start and was eventually bowled out for 203 runs. The Shillong conditions, known for favouring fast bowlers, played a role in the decision of teams choosing to field first.
Meghalaya’s innings saw a dynamic start from Mrinal Das, who scored a quick 34 off 20 balls, including two towering sixes. However, the early wickets of Nishanta Chakraborty, Kush Agarwal, and Swastic Chettri left the responsibility on captain Kevin Christopher. Kevin contributed with a well-set 41 from 42 balls before being dismissed lbw by Mibom Mosu.
The highlight of Meghalaya’s innings was Manish Sharma’s entertaining knock of 61 from 62 balls, featuring 11 fours. However, his dismissal marked the end of Meghalaya’s innings at 203 early in the second session.
In response, Arunachal Pradesh had a solid start to their innings, with Leki Tsering (40) and Amarjeet Sharma (47 not out) forming an 85-run partnership for the second wicket. Despite an early wicket by Sudhir Sahani, Arunachal Pradesh finished the day at 101/2.
Play ended early due to bad light, setting the stage for Meghalaya to regroup and aim for quick wickets when play resumes on the following day.