Traditionally, football has been the number one sport in India’s northeastern state of Nagaland. However, this is now changing, as a homegrown Ranji Trophy side and a new generation of local players catching the eye of Indian Premier League sides mean that cricket is gaining a stronger foothold in the pursuit of sports fans’ interest.
A Football Heartland
The Northeast, which encompasses the likes of Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, regularly contributes many players to India’s national football team. Clubs like Aizawl FC and Shillong Lajong have some of the country’s most passionate football supporters.
The region’s ISL side, NorthEast United FC, was started in 2014 and represents all eight states in the region and is the closest thing to a top-flight franchise Nagaland has. The local Nagaland Super League is a professional football competition that began in 2024, offering fans a more local focus on the sport.
A Viewing Audience
Cricket’s biggest fanbase in both Nagaland and India as a whole is a viewing one and not a playing one. Living rooms across the country fill up when the Indian national team takes the field, being a great family viewing experience.
The IPL also garners a lot of entertainment, with the month-long action reaching almost every part of the country. People in Nagaland attach themselves to teams for several reasons, such as their favourite player, a regional theme, or a team they like the look of when betting on the tournament through PuntIt India.
The Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals have a particularly big fanbase in Nagaland, as their talent scouts often get players from the region. Both franchises trialled Kense after his early performances, which shows that talent can be found even in football heartlands.
Viewership numbers in the Northeast are increasing, which is helped by the availability of cheap mobile data and smartphones that allow for good streaming of matches. Watching games is now as much a part of a routine as checking local lottery results.
Nagaland’s Own Team
The biggest area of local cricketing pride is the Nagaland state side. The team got first-class status in 2018 after the Board of Control for Cricket in India brought the Northeastern states into the domestic structure. The team now compete in the Ranji Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the Syed Mushtaq Trophy.
Nagaland’s finest hour so far came during the 2024/2025 season when it got to the Plate Group final after progressing through the knockout route with many commanding performances. Goa proved to be too strong in the end, winning the final by a stretch. However, Nagaland’s run to the title match has been a big highlight in recent years.
That strong showing led to Nagaland getting promoted to the Elite division for the 2025/2026 season, which was a formidable task. Nagaland found the going tough against sides like Baroda, Andhra, and Uttar Pradesh.
Nagaland turned to the Plate group for the 2026/2027 Ranji Trophy and their season is nearly ready to begin. The fixture list starts with a meeting in October against Arunachal Pradesh, followed by Mizoram a week later. These are the types of Northeastern derbies that are getting fans excited for the new season.
The goal is to have a deep run in the Plate and try to get back to that elite-level action after getting a taste of it last year. A team that’s barely eight years in existence in first-class cricket, its rise has been extremely impressive.
Nagaland gives locals a team to get behind and the homegrown side will be carrying the hopes of cricket fans in the region as the new season gets underway in October. Interest is likely to only grow as time goes on.
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