Aakraman retain SICA Women’s title

GANGTOK,: Aakraman Sporting Club became the first team to successfully defend the SICA Women’s Club Tournament title after cruising to a nine-wicket victory over SICA Academy in the Elite Division final on Friday.

The defending champions produced a dominant all-round display to claim their third SICA Women's crown, having also won the inaugural edition in 2022 and last season’s tournament.

After electing to field, Aakraman restricted SICA Academy to 57-9 from their 20 overs.

SICA Academy struggled to establish partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals, with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding denying them any momentum.

Lyangrip Lepcha and Tshering Yangden Lepcha led the attack with two wickets each, while four other bowlers shared the remaining dismissals in a collective bowling effort.

Chasing a modest target, Aakraman rarely looked troubled.

They lost only one wicket before reaching 58-1 in 12.1 overs, sealing victory with more than seven overs to spare. Yudenmit Lepcha top-scored with 20 as the champions completed a comprehensive nine-wicket win.

The triumph marked Aakraman’s fifth appearance in a SICA Women's final and made them the first side in the tournament's history to retain the championship.

Earlier, Hornbill XI of Namchi claimed the inaugural Plate Division title with a 25-run victory over Shaft Cricket Club.

Batting first, Hornbill XI recovered from an uncertain start to post 102 for six, thanks largely to opener Arpana Rai’s 45. Kusangmit Lepcha was the standout bowler for Shaft, finishing with figures of three for 22.

Shaft’s chase never recovered after both openers were dismissed in the first over. Regular wickets halted any hopes of a comeback as they finished on 77 for nine.

Aishma Roy and Bindiya Rai claimed two wickets each to help Hornbill XI secure the title.

The result completed a reversal of fortunes from the league stage, where unbeaten Shaft had defeated Hornbill XI. A similar pattern unfolded in the Elite Division, with SICA Academy unable to repeat their earlier group-stage victory over Aakraman in the final.

This year's tournament introduced a new two-tier format for the first time. The previous single-division competition featuring 13 teams was split into an Elite Division for the top eight sides and a Plate Division for the remaining five.

Hornbill XI and Shaft Cricket Club earned promotion to next season’s Elite Division, while 2024 champions Alpine Sporting Club and Denzong Girls’ Cricket Club were relegated to the Plate Division.