Shillong, Oct 12: Fast bowler Ram Gurung claimed his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket as Meghalaya bowled out Sikkim for 245 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 Plate Group campaign in Rangpo, Sikkim, on Sunday.
Meghalaya won the toss and elected to field, a decision that paid off early as the visitors reduced Sikkim to 18/4. Ram led the attack alongside young pacers PM Santhosh and Abhishek Kumar, putting the hosts under immediate pressure.
Santhosh, making his senior team debut after impressing in junior-level cricket, made an early impact by dismissing former Meghalaya professional Gurinder Singh for a duck. Abhishek also contributed as Meghalaya’s pace attack dismantled the Sikkim top order.
However, Sikkim recovered through contributions from the middle and lower order to reach 245 before being bowled out in 80.5 overs. Their leading scorer was professional cricketer Satyajeet Bachhav, who made 45 before becoming one of Ram’s five victims.
Ram finished with figures of 5/32 from 14.5 overs, delivering a sustained spell to complete his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. He claimed his fifth wicket with a catch off his own bowling, capping an impressive performance with the ball.
Santhosh returned figures of 2/38 on his senior debut, while Abhishek, who made his return to the senior team after three years, took 2/58. Left-arm spinner Aryan Bora claimed the remaining wicket, finishing with 1/76 from 27 overs.
Meghalaya faced a brief but potentially tricky period before stumps, with just one over to negotiate. Openers Arpit Bhatewara and debutant Kevin Christopher safely saw off the over, scoring a run each as Meghalaya reached 2/0 at the close of play.
The visitors will look to build on their bowling performance when play resumes on the second day.
