Ranji Trophy: Milind Kumar century helps Sikkim draw with Meghalaya

Milind, the season’s leading-run getter with over 1200 runs, raised his sixth century in eight matches.

Some stoic batting from the opener Nilesh Lamichaney and a stroke-filled century from Milind Kumar ensured Sikkim averted defeat against Meghalaya after conceding a mammoth 826 in their eighth-round 2018-19 Ranji Trophy match in Bhubaneshwar.

Behind by the small matter of 607 runs when play began on Wednesday, having reached 72/2 in 33 overs on day three, Sikkim ended on 304/4 in 108 after Lamichaney ground out 70 from 241 deliveries in contrast to former Delhi batsman Milind’s unbeaten 127 from 121 balls, with 20 fours and a six.

Milind, already this Ranji Trophy season’s leading-run getter with over 1200 runs before today’s innings, raised his sixth century in eight matches. He scored 117 in the first innings – the first time in his career he managed twin centuries in one match.

His tally thus stands at 1260 runs so far, the fifth most for any batsman in a Ranji Trophy season. Sikkim have one game left, versus Arunachal Pradesh, and Milind needs 154 runs to level VVS Laxman’s all-time record of 1415 in a season.

Ashish Thapa also weighed in with 43 from 127 balls. For Meghalaya, Gurinder Singh took 3/84 from 35 overs.

Brief Scores: Sikkim 219 & 304/4 (Milind 127*, Lamichaney 70) drew with Meghalaya 826/7 declared

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