Who is Kiplin Doriga? The Jailed PNG Cricketer Who Has Played T20 World Cup

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) cricket team has been making quite a steady progress in world cricket. The team is admired for their energetic approach towards the game and the way they carry themselves on the field. Their journey from regional qualifiers to major ICC tournaments showcases their determination and makes them an emerging country in the cricket world.

Amidst all the cricket that's happening, a recent high profile case in PNG has drawn everyone's attention. The situation has got rapid response from cricket experts and fans on social media as one of PNG's cricketers, Kiplin Doriga has been sentenced to jail. It is a bad news for PNG cricket as Doriga once played for the national team in the T20 World Cup, where he played against some of the best cricket teams in the world.

Who is Kiplin Doriga? Why is He in the Headlines?

Kiplin Doriga is an experienced player who has also played for the PNG cricket team in the T20 World Cup. He is a right-handed batter and an occasional wicket-keeper, who made his one-day International (ODI) debut in November 2017 against Scotland, and his T20 International debut in March 2019. He is talented and always aspired to become one of the best wicketkeepers in the world.

Doriga has come to light for a case where he attacked a woman late at night, punched her, and stole her mobile phone. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to jail for three years. The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ incident that caused Kiplin Doriga to become a topic of discussion for worldwide media coverage happened during the PNG cricket team tour of Jersey in August 2025. It was a fight that broke out and turned into a violent affair late at night in St Helier. According to the police, a woman who was walking alone was targeted, hit in a sudden, unexpected attack, and had her mobile phone taken by force.

The assault, which came out of the blue, resulted in her being injured and traumatized. Jersey Police initiated an investigation without delay. Due to the grim details of the crime, a robbery accompanied by violence against a solitary woman at night, officers went on treating the case as a matter of great urgency. They gathered evidence, went through surveillance, and brought Doriga within hours.

Kiplin Doriga Controversy Bad Impact on Cricket

After​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the case went to the Royal Court of Jersey, Doriga decided to admit his guilt to robbery and assault. The court hearing talked a lot about the seriousness of the offence and the larger responsibility of ensuring safety in society.

On November 28, 2025, the court passed a sentence of three years' jail for the PNG cricketer. The judge who was in charge of the case underlined the seriousness of the attack, reminding that unprovoked violent assaults on people destroy the confidence of the public and, thus, must be followed by harsh punishments. Now, Doriga has joined the unfortunate list of cricketers who have been jailed.

The punishment regarding the PNG cricketer controversy quickly made the rounds of the media all over the world, thus becoming a subject of conversation about accountability, athlete conduct abroad, and the obligations that come with being a representative of the country. While the PNG cricket team is still on its long-term journey for growth and sporting excellence, the off-field Kiplin Doriga controversy will surely affect the teammates.