Rangpo, Sikkim — A state-of-the-art BCCI indoor cricket facility in Rangpo, Sikkim, worth Rs 23 crore, is all set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 28, as part of a landmark initiative to transform cricket infrastructure across India's northeastern region. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia personally inspected the facility on Thursday, April 23, expressing strong satisfaction with the quality of construction and amenities on offer.

BCCI Secretary Inspects Rangpo Facility Ahead of PM Modi Visit

Devajit Saikia visited the newly constructed indoor cricket academy located within the premises of the Sikkim Cricket Association (SICA) ground at Mining, Rangpo. The inspection comes days before the formal inauguration, which will be attended by Prime Minister Modi during his scheduled visit to Sikkim on April 28.

Speaking to reporters after the inspection, Saikia said the ground that the Sikkim Cricket Association has built is very beautiful, featuring an international-standard cricket pitch and outfield, all set in lovely surroundings. He noted he had visited Sikkim six or seven times before for infrastructure work but had never specifically inspected the cricket facilities, and was pleasantly surprised by their excellence.

What the Rs 23-Crore Facility Offers

The Rs 23-crore indoor cricket academy at Rangpo is equipped with a comprehensive suite of modern amenities designed to elevate cricket training standards in the region. The facility includes indoor net practice areas for year-round training, a fully equipped gymnasium, a swimming pool, and supporting sports infrastructure aligned with national training standards.

The facility is specifically designed to address one of the most persistent challenges for northeastern cricketers — the region's prolonged monsoon season lasting six to seven months annually, which historically disrupts outdoor practice schedules and stunts player development.

Six Northeastern States to Get Indoor Facilities Simultaneously

PM Modi will inaugurate the Rangpo facility along with similar indoor cricket centres in five other northeastern states — all in a single ceremony from Gangtok on April 28. This simultaneous multi-state inauguration underscores the BCCI's and central government's strategic focus on developing grassroots cricket infrastructure in India's northeast.

Saikia confirmed that from Gangtok, all six facilities will be inaugurated together, which will give a new impetus to the entire northeastern cricket scene. The six states covered under this initiative are among those that recently received BCCI membership, marking their formal integration into India's organised cricket ecosystem.

Jay Shah's 2022 Vision Behind the Initiative

The indoor cricket infrastructure project was originally conceived and launched in 2022 under the leadership of then-BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, who now serves as the ICC Chairman. The initiative was specifically tailored to the northeastern states' unique climatic challenges.

The objective, as articulated by the BCCI, was to ensure that aspiring cricketers in the northeast would no longer lose months of practice time due to weather — a structural disadvantage that has long held back talent from the region relative to counterparts in drier states. Saikia confirmed the project began in 2022 under Jay Shah's leadership and is now fully complete.

Broader Impact on Northeast Indian Cricket

This initiative represents one of the most significant investments in northeastern cricket infrastructure in the BCCI's history. Historically, states like Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh have struggled to produce top-tier cricketers partly due to inadequate facilities and prolonged weather disruptions.

The Sikkim Cricket Association received full BCCI membership relatively recently, and the construction of an international-standard ground at Rangpo signals a serious long-term commitment to developing the state as a cricket hub in the Himalayan region. With PM Modi's inauguration on April 28 set to bring national visibility to these facilities, cricket administrators and coaches in the northeast are optimistic that the spotlight will attract greater investment, coaching talent, and competitive opportunities for local players in the years ahead.