Mokokchung Time News
Mokokchung | March 7
Nagaland will be playing against Jharkhand in the pre-quarter final match of the Ranji Trophy 2022 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on March 12. Nagaland skipper Jonathan Rongsen told Mokokchung Times that this is the first time ever that a team from the North East has made it to the knockout stages of a domestic first-class cricket tournament. He also said that the Nagaland team is under a 3-day quarantine in their hotel and that they will start training for the match against Jharkhand after that.
The right-handed top order batsman and right-arm medium pacer captain of Nagaland is leading an exuberant team and all cricket fans in the state are hoping for his side to overcome the next hurdle. He is also the first player from the NE region to score a double century in a Ranji Trophy and also holds the distinction of being the only batsman from the region to score back to back hundreds in three games in the Ranji Trophy.
Born on October 4, 1986, Jonathan Rongsen Longkumer of Akhoya Village in Mokokchung district, made his first-class debut for the Indian Railways in the 2013–14 Ranji Trophy on December 6, 2013. Ahead of the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy, he transferred from Railways to Nagaland in the Ranji Trophy.
Rongsen is a powerhouse of Indian first class cricket and current skipper of Nagaland state side. His cricketing career started at Karnataka state side where he represented that state through all youth age groups from Under 16 to Under 25 levels. Proven performances saw him make his first class debut in December 2013 for Railways against Bengal. Impressive performances continued before moving to Nagaland in the 2018 season.
In the 2018/19 season, he had a fantastic season in the Ranji Trophy, Indian’s premier first class tournament scoring 809 runs at an average of 57.78 with 3 hundreds and 6 fifties. In January 2020, he smashed 200 not out off 231 balls against a powerful Bihar state side. This innings made him the 1st person to score a double hundred from a Northeastern state and the first Nagaland player. With a first class average of over 40, his record speaks volumes.
In summer 2021, Jonathan played his first season in the UK for Morecambe CC in the ECB Northern league where he has produced a fantastic season scoring 1044 runs in league and cup at 49.71 and has also chipped in with 33 wickets at 19.52.