By Our Reporter
Shillong, Dec 18: Meghalaya were knocked out of the U-19 men’s Cooch Behar Trophy 2025-26 plate group after Mizoram put in a stunning fourth innings chase to win by 3 wickets on the third day in Anand, Gujarat on Thursday
Set 248 to win, which would have been the highest score either side had made in this match, Mizoram were led by half-centuries from Mapuia (77), Chhuankima (67) and Valpuia (67) to take the game away from Meghalaya, who had otherwise held the edge on both preceding days. To recap, Meghalaya made 219 all out in their first innings and then bowled Mizoram out for 177. With a first innings lead, Meghalaya were then dismissed for 205, leaving Mizoram 248 to win.
Defeat means that Meghalaya will not qualify for the final of the plate group, which will instead be contested by Manipur and Nagaland. Mizoram had only won one of their previous four matches earlier, which was against bottom side Arunachal Pradesh, while Meghalaya had won three and lost just one to leaders Manipur. Mizoram had two batters dismissed in the eighth over by Mewankitbok Kharpuri (3/38) but opener Mapuia and Chhuankima (who had impressed as a bowler with eight wickets across Meghalaya’s two innings) put on a whopping 111 for the third wicket before Chhuankima became Namewanki Pakyntein’s (1/22) only victim of the innings.Meghalaya would have hoped that this would provide them an opening into the rest of the batting line-up but Chhuankima was replaced by Valpuia, who also hit 67.
