Lepcha has been appointed captain on the basis of his performance in the last season.
"He is a local boy. He's has been involved with Sikkim Sporting for a while and besides, he is also very hardworking and dedicated," Bhaichung said.
There will be a total of seven players from Sikkim, including former India skipper Bhaichung, in the team that finished fourth in the last season.
The club has signed three foreign players for the season -- Bidemi Daniel, Quantum Jacob and Baba Tundey. It has also signed three national players from Manipur in Sushil Kumar Singh, Gobind Singh and Thor Singh.
The team kicked off its started session at the Paljor Stadium on Tuesday and the two-hour session was also attended by Bhutia and ace India midfielder Renedy Singh.
The club has signed players, including new goalkeepers, from I-League clubs Sporting Club-de-Goa, Churchill Brothers, Salgaokar, the disbanded JCT and Arhima.
"The team has started training at the right time with a full contingent. There is a better hope for a better performance this season," said chief coach Stanley Rosario.
Besides the I-League, the 35-member team will also be playing other tournaments within and outside the state.