Three Meghalaya players join north east squad for Duleep trophy

Three cricketers from Meghalaya have secured places in the North East Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025-26, marking a significant achievement for the state’s cricketing scene.

Batter Arpit Bhatewara, fast bowler Akash Kumar Choudhary, and left-arm spinner Aryan Borah were named in the 15-member team announced by the North East Zonal Selection Committee on Monday in Guwahati. Choudhary, who featured last season, has been appointed vice-captain.

The Duleep Trophy, one of the BCCI’s premier domestic tournaments, will be played in Bengaluru from August 28 to September 15. The North East Zone squad draws players from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim.

Selectors aimed to build a balanced side based on performances in BCCI tournaments during the 2024-25 season. Along with the main squad, seven standbys were named, including Meghalaya pacer Dippu Sangma. Meghalaya’s trainer, Vikash Singh Chauhan, will also serve as the team’s trainer for the tournament.

A preparatory camp is scheduled in Dimapur from August 18 to 24, hosted by the Nagaland Cricket Association. The squad will travel to Bengaluru on August 25, with costs for the camp shared equally by the six states.

North East Zone squad:
Techi Doria (Arunachal), Yumnam Karnajit (Manipur), Sedezhalie Rupero (Nagaland), Ashish Thapa (Sikkim), Hem Bahadur Chetri (Nagaland), Jehu Anderson (Mizoram), Arpit Subash Bhatewara (Meghalaya), Pheiroijam Jotin Singh (Manipur), Palzor Tamang (Sikkim), Jonathan Rongsen (C) (Nagaland), Ankur Malik (Sikkim), Akash Kumar Choudhary (VC) (Meghalaya), Bishworjit Singh Konthoujam (Manipur), Aryan Borah (Meghalaya), Lamabam Ajay Singh (Manipur).