In a thrilling conclusion to the NECDC Senior Men’s Interstate Friendship Tournament 2025, Meghalaya emerged victorious, defeating the two-time defending champions and hosts, Nagaland, by a convincing margin of 110 runs in the final showdown held on May 15th.
Meghalaya’s captain won the crucial toss and elected to bat first on the hallowed grounds of the Sovima Cricket Ground. The decision proved fruitful as half-centuries from the in-form Arpit Bhatewara and the steady Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva propelled Meghalaya to a respectable total of 230 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Nagaland’s chase faltered early, losing vital wickets upfront. Despite a spirited fightback in the middle overs, the pressure mounted, and they were eventually bowled out for a mere 120 runs in 34.3 overs.
The tournament, a commendable initiative by the Nagaland Cricket Association under the umbrella of the North East Cricket Development Council, aims to provide a platform for the northeastern states to fine-tune their skills in preparation for the upcoming BCCI 2025-26 domestic season. While Nagaland had established dominance by winning the previous two editions, Meghalaya had previously been unlucky, twice falling at the semifinal hurdle due to adverse weather conditions.
This emphatic victory adds another feather to Meghalaya’s cricketing cap, following the recent triumph of their women’s team in the 2nd NECDC Senior Women Tournament 2025 held in Sikkim just last month.
Arpit Bhatewara continued his stellar form, notching up his third half-century of the tournament with a well-crafted 72 off 113 deliveries, his highest score in the competition. He found solid support in Swastic Chettri, who contributed a patient 43 from 83 balls in a crucial 73-run partnership for the second wicket. Their cautious approach laid a solid foundation for the innings.
Following Swastic’s unfortunate run-out and Lerry Sangma’s quick dismissal for a duck, Arpit forged another significant partnership of 92 runs with Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva, who injected much-needed impetus into the innings with a brisk 55 off 57 balls. A late flourish from Akash K Choudhary (24 off 18) and Ram Gurung (16 not out off 10) ensured Meghalaya reached a competitive total.
Having already tasted victory against Nagaland in a rain-affected group stage encounter, Meghalaya’s bowling attack came out firing on all cylinders. Spearhead Abhishek Kumar rattled the hosts’ top order, claiming three crucial wickets early on (and later returning to take the final wicket), finishing with impressive figures of 4/23 in 7.3 overs. Akash Choudhary (2/14 in 7) provided excellent support, leaving Nagaland reeling at a precarious 17/4 in just 7.1 overs.
The defending champions attempted to rebuild their innings, with Sedezhalie Rupero contributing a patient 23 and Imliwati Lemtur scoring 27. However, the introduction of spin proved to be their undoing. Manish Sharma spun a web around the batsmen, taking 3/31 in his 8 overs, while Aryan Borah chipped in with 1/22 in 5 overs. Number 10 Chopise Hopongkyu offered some late resistance with a fighting 28, but his efforts only delayed the inevitable as Akash Choudhary returned to dismiss him at cover, sealing Meghalaya’s memorable victory.
The closing ceremony witnessed the presence of the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, who also serves as the Convener of the NECDC. Also in attendance were Co-Convener and Meghalaya Cricket Association President Nababrata Bhattacharjee, Apex Council Member of the BCCI Shri MKJ Mazumdar, and other esteemed office bearers from the NECDC state cricket associations.
Meghalaya’s exceptional performance was further recognized with individual accolades. Abhishek Kumar was deservedly named the Player of the Final, while Arpit Bhatewara bagged the awards for Best Batter and Best Wicketkeeper of the Tournament. Imliwati Lemtur of Nagaland was adjudged the Best Bowler, and Manipur’s Jotin Singh was named the Player of the Tournament. Manipur had earlier been eliminated in the semifinals by Nagaland. As champions, Meghalaya also received a cash prize of ₹2 lakh.
Overjoyed with the team’s achievement, Nababrata Bhattacharjee stated, “It’s a brilliant win which has eluded us during the last two editions of the tournament. Our team put up a sterling all-around performance and displayed exceptional team spirit. Our team earned the distinction of being unbeaten in the tournament. It gives me immense pleasure to be with the team in Nagaland in this hour of glory. It is a matter of great pride for the MCA.”