It is incredibly sad that, despite India being a cricket-crazy nation, the representation of the Northeast in Indian cricket is next to nil

India, as a democratic and sovereign country, gained its freedom in 1947, and since then, the country has worked tirelessly to become a dominant force in cricket. However, despite India's status as a global cricket power, cricket remains confined to the mainland. The nation, especially the north, never embraced its northeastern side, and therefore, even cricket, the representation of the Northeast, remains next to nil.

So much so that, even in the Indian Premier League, which has unearthed so many talents from the grassroots level, to date only one Nagaland player has reached an IPL franchise. The player’s name is Hokaito Zhimomi, and he was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008.

Dimapur and a football turf

Nagaland's star cricketer's @hokaito_zhimomi #ipl player and #jalal all rounder ..#cricket #sports #nagaland #sports #bcci @jacob_zhimomi @AlongImna @BCCI @ANI pic.twitter.com/PrNNLuBdrY

— Dimapur Today (@dimapurtoday) November 1, 2018

Hailing from Sangtamtila village of Dimapur district, Nagaland, Zhimoni grew up in a state where football was more famous than cricket. Therefore, he spent hours learning cricket on a football turf and took part in local tournaments to hone his skills. Due to a lack of opportunities, his training regime never matched that of young players at cricket academies, which often provided structured coaching, access to better facilities, and competitive environments that are crucial for skill development.

Dimapur to Kolkata

Despite lacking proper training and a roadmap, Zhimoni convinced his parents to allow him to travel to Kolkata, where he found a place at the Dalhousie Athletic Club. This opportunity led him to connect with the KKR team, who subsequently selected him.

The Future of Cricket

THREAD

The cricketer from Nagaland who John Buchanan called a 'Champion'

Hokaito Zhimomi is not a name many would associate with the IPL. He never even played an IPL game. But it's fair to say that he made enough of an impression on a certain John Buchanan that he reserved a pic.twitter.com/TJOn9Xv5bE

— TheRandomCricketPhotosGuy (@RandomCricketP1) April 22, 2025

There isn’t much information about Zhimoni’s time at the Riders’ camp, but in coach John Buchanan's book 'Future of Cricket', he wrote, “Hokaito Zhimomi arrived one day pleading for the chance to be a net bowler, and he stuck like a limpet to our franchise for the entire tournament. When I gave him permission to bowl his left-arm medium pace on the first afternoon of training, I never imagined he would become a permanent fixture in our training setup. Training that day went for two to three hours, and he never stopped bowling. He bowled himself into the ground.

He saw himself as a symbol of hope for his region. And I saw him as a young man setting an inspirational example for his peers from Nagaland. If enthusiasm and desire counted for anything, Hokaito was a champion.”

Way to FC & List A

Zhimoni never had the opportunity to showcase his skills in an IPL game, but his time at the KKR camp paved the way for him in First Class cricket. He played as a guest for Assam in his debut First Class match against Tripura in 2012, followed by a List A debut for Nagaland against Bihar in 2018 and a T20 debut against Saurashtra in 2019.

Zhimoni’s profile card on ESPNcricinfo states that he is currently 39 years old. So far, he has played 37 FC matches, with 1,285 runs to his name, followed by 318 runs in 30 List A matches and 272 runs in T20S. His last match was a First-Class game against Goa in 2025.

It is disheartening that players like Zhimoni fade into oblivion despite India being a cricket-crazy country. It is high time that actors and businessmen across the country buy a team that represents the Northeast and comprises Northeast players, just as actor John Abraham did with Northeast United in the Indian Super League.