Lt. Vinod Pradhan Memorial Trophy
The inaugural Lt. Vinod Pradhan Memorial Trophy, held on March 13, concluded with Alpine Sporting Club emerging victorious over Pakyong XI in the final match. Here are the key highlights and details from the tournament:
Tournament Overview:
- Final Match: Pakyong XI chose to bat first and scored 127 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs. Alpine SC successfully chased the target in 17.1 overs, losing only one wicket.
- Chief Guest: Justice Biswanath Somadder, Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim, graced the final match.
- Guests of Honour: Mani Kumar Pradhan (brother) and Dr. Sumita Pradhan (wife) of Lt. Vinod Pradhan, Sudip Pradhan (Independent Director at Numaligarh Refinery Limited), Y.T. Lepcha (Gangtok MLA), and others.
Awards and Recognitions:
- Player of the Tournament: Mohammed Emamuddin (Irises Cricket Club) received the award for his performance across 4 matches, taking 8 wickets and scoring 73 runs.
- Highest Scorer: Nilesh Lamichaney (Alpine Sporting Club) scored 170 runs in 5 matches.
- Highest Wicket-taker: Lee Yong Lepcha (Cricket Association of Tathangchen) secured this accolade with 9 wickets in 3 matches.
- Player of the Final: Nilesh Lamichaney earned this award for his unbeaten knock of 64 runs off 45 balls in the final match.
- Cash Prizes: Sponsored by Lt. Vinod Pradhan’s family, the awards included Rs. 7,000 for the Player of the Tournament, Rs. 5,000 each for the Highest Scorer and Highest Wicket-taker, and Rs. 3,000 for the Player of the Match.
Contributions and Donations:
- Ambulance Donation: Numaligarh Refinery Limited donated an ambulance to the Sikkim Cricket Association under its CSR scheme, presented by Sudip Pradhan.
- Cricket Shoes Donation: The Sikkim Senior Men’s team gifted 24 pairs of cricket shoes to students at the SICA Centre of Excellence.
Trophy and Sponsorship:
- The specially crafted trophy, adorned with Eight Lucky Signs and composed of 1 kg silver and 6 grams of gold, was unveiled by the Chief Guest and Guests of Honour. The running trophy is sponsored by Lt. Vinod Pradhan’s family.
Participants:
- The tournament featured the top-eight teams in Sikkim: Alpine Sporting Club, Black Eagles, Cricket Association of Tathangchen, Irises Cricket Club, Jorethang Brothers Cricket Club, Pakyong XI, Royal Daragaon Cricket Club, and Royal North Brothers.
- All matches were hosted at the Sikkim Cricket Ground in Mining.
The Lt. Vinod Pradhan Memorial Trophy marks a significant addition to Sikkim’s cricket calendar, honoring the legacy of the former president of the Sikkim Cricket Association.
