By Our Reporter
Shillong, Nov 14: The senior men selection committee of the Meghalaya Cricket Association has named an unchanged squad for the fifth match of the U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy match against Railways, which will be played from Friday at the latter’s home ground in Rajkot, Gujarat.
Promoted to the elite level after finishing second in the plate group last season, Meghalaya lost their first four matches against big opponents Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The latest match against Rajasthan last week saw some notable performances even if Meghalaya lost by an innings and 29 runs.
Manish Sharma was undoubtedly the standout Meghalaya player, with 6/110 in 39.4 overs with the ball as Rajasthan were dismissed for 352 and 62 with the bat as Meghalaya made 143/10. Following on, Sachin Kumar struck 68 at the top of the order as Meghalaya were all out for 180. Meghalaya will now hope for an even better performance when they take on Railways from tomorrow. Railways have won one of their four matches, with two draws and one defeat.
Despite a challenging season so far in the U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy, Meghalaya’s senior men’s team enters their fifth match against Railways with resilience and determination to turn things around. Though promoted to the elite level this season after a strong showing last year, the squad has faced tough defeats against heavyweight teams like Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Yet, there have been individual performances that reflect Meghalaya’s potential in this new competitive environment. Manish Sharma’s remarkable 6/110 with the ball and crucial 62 with the bat in the recent match against Rajasthan underscore his all-round talent and fighting spirit, which the team hopes will inspire a collective rise in performance. Alongside him, Sachin Kumar’s top-order 68 while following on shows the ability to dig deep, even against formidable opponents.With Railways, who have shown mixed form this season, as the next opponents, Meghalaya has a real opportunity to recalibrate and build on these individual efforts.
Meghalaya squad against Railways: Kevin S Christopher (C), Manish Sharma (V-C), Rohit Kr Yadav, Sachin Kumar (WK), Abhishek Kumar, Kush Agarwal, Gavineal J Marpna, Bipin Kr Ray, Josiah Momin, Joydeepan Deb, Banialam Mylliemngap, Gulgul Sangma, PM Santhosh, Thunun Marak (WK), Swastic Chettri
Standbys: Agreas Cham Cham Sangma, Navin K Ray, Aman Kumar, Bharat Gurung, Raghav Magotra
Support staff: Neetesh Sharma (Head Coach), Synrapsing Riahtam (Assistant Coach), Emidao Dhar (Physio), Skhembor Khongbtep (Trainer), Chuba R Marak (Manager).
