Sikkim skipper Leyong Lepcha called the opportunity to play against Rohit Sharma a dream come true after his team’s 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy opener against Mumbai in Jaipur on Wednesday (December 24).

Making his first appearance in the tournament after seven years, Rohit slammed 155 off 94 balls with 18 fours and 9 sixes as Mumbai crushed Sikkim by eight wickets.

Rohit was adjudged 'Player-of-the-Match' after his effort helped Mumbai chase down a below-par target of 237 in 30.3 overs.

After the game, Lepcha reflected on the challenge of playing a formidable team and the rare chance to witness the brilliance of a legendary batter from close quarters.

“It was a great experience. We played pretty well while batting first. And it was a great experience to watch this great man from this close up. I guess he was waiting for the loose balls. During the course of the game, I thought he respected the good balls and he capitalised on the loose balls. The scoring rate and the strike rate is very high when all these international players play. It was a treat watching him from so close and it was an honour," Lepcha was quoted as saying to PTI.

Lepcha also explained why the contest became a memorable occasion for his teammates, many of whom grew up watching Rohit on television.

“Well absolutely. To be in the same ground and playing the same match with a World Cup winning captain. It is a dream come true for all the guys in Sikkim. Didn’t get a chance to speak to him because he’s always surrounded by security. As you know, he’s a very big player so I hope we get a chance to meet him after the match. I had a few chit chats with him when he was batting," he added.

It was the 37th hundred of Rohit Sharma’s illustrious List A career. Out of those 37, 33 tons have been scored for India in ODIs. Overall, Rohit now has 13913 runs to his name in List A cricket at an average of 47.32.