ITANAGAR, 18 Aug: The 6th Arunachal Club T20 Championship 2026-27 began at the AIOC ground here on Sunday with Si-Donyi Cricket Foundation taking on Nirjuli Cricket Club in the opening match.
Nirjuli Cricket Club won the match by six-wicket.
Si-Donyi Cricket Foundation after winning the toss elected to bat first and scored 98 runs in 16.5 overs.
Leki top-scored with a quick-fire 32 runs from 14 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.
Captain Yorjum Sera made 20 off 18 balls, while Abo contributed 24 from 32 balls.
Nini Mibang took 5 wickets conceding 18 in four overs. Akhilesh Sahani claimed 3 wickets giving away 12 runs.
Nirjuli Cricket Club reached the target in 14 overs losing four wickets.
Captain Techi Doria scored a composed 33 off 36 balls (3x4, 1x6). Myendung Singpho remained unbeaten on 26 runs, and Dado Tachung added a quick 20 runs from 12 balls.
Addressing the players during the opening ceremony, MLA Topin Ete urged them to take cricket seriously and pursue it as a professional career. He advised the young cricketers to work hard, learn from each another, maintain discipline and uphold sportsmanship and brotherhood. He added that the focus should remain on improvement rather than just winning or losing.
Tournament director and Itanagar Cricket Club president Suraj Tayam said that Chief Minister Pema Khandu has supported the tournament by sponsoring it to provide meaningful platform for young cricketers.
He also explained the renaming of the tournament from Donyi-Polo Champions Trophy to Arunachal Club T20 Championship. He said Donyi-Polo represents the cultural and spiritual identity of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, and the organizers chose to keep this identity over commercial considerations.
The championship aims to give local cricketers competitive exposure and strengthen the state's cricketing culture.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Papum Pare District Cricket Association president Teli Pada Camdir and AIOC coach Lalit Deva.
In the third match, Itanagar Cricket Club beat Neelam Cricket Club by three wickets.
Neelam Cricket Club batted first and set a target of 87 runs in 18.5 overs.
Shubham Kumar scored 31 runs from 30 balls, while the rest of the batting lineup struggled to build partnerships.
For Itanagar Cricket Club, Darge Bagra produced an outstanding bowling performance, claiming four wickets in his four-over spell while conceding just 15 runs. His disciplined bowling played a crucial role in restricting Neelam Cricket Club to 87 runs, and he was deservedly declared Player of the Match.
Chasing 88, Itanagar Cricket Club suffered an early collapse in the top order. However, senior player and ICC president Suraj Tayam steadied the innings with a crucial 24-run knock, helping to rebuild the innings and keep the team in contention. He received valuable support from Ankit Gupta, who contributed 16 runs.
Academy for Cricket Excellence won the fourth match by nine wickets against Casen Cricket Club.
Casen Cricket Club won the toss and elected to bat first, but their batting lineup struggled against a disciplined bowling attack and was restricted to just 45 runs in 13 overs.
Nabam Natung provided the only significant resistance for Casen Cricket Club, scoring a fighting 26 runs, while wickets continued to fall at regular intervals at the other end.
For Academy for Cricket Excellence, Deepak Yadav was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets in his impressive two-over spell and playing a key role in restricting Casen Cricket Club to a low total.
Chasing just 46 runs, Academy for Cricket Excellence made light work of the target, completing the chase for the loss of just one wicket and securing a convincing nine-wicket victory.
