Ranji Trophy 2018/19: Milind Kumar, playing for Sikkim, enters the record books

In the list of highest run-getters in the 2018/19 Ranji Trophy season, there is only one batsman who has crossed 1000 runs in the season. Milind Kumar, playing for Sikkim in the Plate Division, has reached the feat in just nine innings, which is just the second-quickest in the history of the tournament. Rusi Modi achieved this feat in just seven innings during the 1944/45 season and it remains the quickest. However, the 27-year-old from Delhi could still have a chance to break VVS Laxman’s aggregate of 1415 runs in a single year of the Ranji Trophy edition, with two matches still left to play.

Milind’s consistency has been simply amazing. After being overlooked in the Delhi Ranji side following the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Milind was picked by Sikkim as a professional player and he responded with 261 and 224 in two games against Manipur and Nagaland. In the third game against Uttarakhand, Milind responded with his third century and rounded it off with a fifty (133 and 61) . After a failure against Bihar where he made 13 in both innings, Milind was yet again back in form with fabulous knocks of 96 and 77 against Puducherry. After his first two knocks gave Sikkim wins, his last three against Bihar, Puducherry and Uttarkhand have resulted in heavy losses.

Read More | Gautam Gambhir farewell – When tension was dispelled in style

Sikkim are currently fifth in the Plate Division and will need a massive win in the remaining two games to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the knock-outs. Only the top two teams will enter the quarter-finals from the Plate Division. Currently, Uttarakhand are on top but there is a heavy tussle between Meghalaya, Puducherry, Bihar, Manipur and Sikkim.

Read More | Kashmiri boy bowls Warne over with his version of ‘Ball of century'

Speaking about his journey in a chat with ESPNCricinfo, Milind said he did not want to waste his year and thus signed up for Sikkim. “I got to know that Sikkim needed a professional. It's not like I had much choice. I didn't want to waste my year, so I signed up,” Milind said.

Milind is on the cusp of breaking a record and he will be determined to help Sikkim enter the knock-outs so that he can get the chance.