In pictures: Sikkim pulls off ground transformation, gears up for Ranji Trophy hosting debut

From being a site that hosted age-group cricket at one point, the Mining Ground in Rangpo, Sikkim has come a long way to become first-class ready

Sikkim’s only BCCI-affiliated venue, the Mining Ground in Rangpo, has undergone a major glow up and is now ready to host its first Ranji Trophy fixture. | Photo Credit: SICA

About four years ago, when states in the northeast got the green light from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to feature in first-class cricket, one important factor stopped the Sikkim Cricket Association from conducting matches or even managing trials at home - the absence of a proper ground.

The state’s only BCCI-affiliated venue - the Mining Ground in Rangpo - was not in a position to host first-class matches and hardly had any facilities. With brush growing all over, the area looked more and more like a marshland.

With brush growing all over, the area began looking more and more like a marshland.  [Photograph from 2018] | Photo Credit: Shayan Acharya

Barely any maintenance happened at this facility. [Photograph from 2018] | Photo Credit: Shayan Acharya

Barely any maintenance happened at this facility eventually making it impossible for even local matches to be conducted on the surface. The Sikkim side consequently had to play its ‘home games’ in Assam and Bengal. However, the Sikkim Cricket Association didn’t leave the Mining Ground behind, leaving no stone unturned in working towards making it a first-class cricket venue.

All that hard work has culminated in a historic moment for the SCA with the Mining Ground in Rangpo gearing up to host its first-ever Ranji Trophy fixture on Tuesday. The home side will take on Manipur in a Plate Group fixture with dignitaries from the state administration and members of the cricket fraternity expected to attend and make this moment in the ground’s history memorable.

“It was not easy to get things in order, but right from the beginning, we knew that we will have to get a ground and other facilities ready to develop the game in the state,” Sikkim Cricket Association president Lobzang Tenzing had told  Sportstar.

The venue has been tried out ahead of its big Ranji debut with matches from the Cooch Behar Trophy and CK Nayudu Trophy already being played on the surface.  | Photo Credit: SICA

With the BCCI supporting the state units from the northeast, efforts were taken to set up state-of-the-art facilities and ensure that the players don’t have to travel elsewhere for training and matches. The COVID-induced lockdown did delay the process, but the state association set itself a target to host matches at home ‘at the earliest’. And its efforts have finally paid off as the picturesque Mining Ground bagged three Ranji fixtures this season, where Sikkim will host Mizoram, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The venue has been tried out ahead of its big Ranji debut with matches from the Cooch Behar Trophy and CK Nayudu Trophy already being played on the surface.

Sikkim will host three Ranji Trophy fixtures this season, against Mizoram, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh. | Photo Credit: SICA

From being a site that hosted age-group cricket at one point, the Mining Ground has come a long way to become first-class ready - a shot in the arm for Sikkim players who will finally get an opportunity to play a Ranji game at their actual home for the first time ever!

DHONI AT THE MINING GROUND AT RANGPO

A young Mahendra Singh Dhoni had played a Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19) game at this venue from November 6-8, 1998, when Bihar U-19 took on Sikkim U-19 in a group league match. While Bihar won the game by 188 runs, a young Dhoni remained unbeaten on 20 in the first innings, and followed it up with a 31 not out in the second essay.