New Delhi, October 27: India C defeated India B by 29 runs to emerge champions in the Deodhar Trophy at the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium here on Saturday (October 27).
Batting by choice, India C scored 352 for seven in the stipulated 50 overs and then restricted India B to 323 in 46.1 overs. In a match that saw the teams accumulating 675 runs together, India B were very much in the hunt till skipper Shreyas Iyer (148, 114b, 11x4, 8x6) was at the crease.
His dismissal in the 43rd over with the team score at 309 turned the course of the match. Shreyas was the seventh batsman to fall and at that point India B needed 44 runs from 42 balls, an attainable target under normal circumstances but the tailenders did not have the nous to take the team over the line.
It was a run-fest at the Kotla & India C are crowned Deodhar Trophy champions as they clinch the final by 29 runs. pic.twitter.com/ZQSOaLwOpD
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) October 27, 2018
Before Shreyas played that glorious innings, India C were served well by hundreds from skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who carried the bat for a 144 off 156 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes, and Ishan Kishan (114, 87b, 11x4, 6x6). The openers added 210 runs in 30.3 before Kishan fell to Jaidev Unadkat.
From that juncture, India B bowlers managed to slow down the scoring rate taking regular wickets and they would have ended up on much lower scored had it not been Surya Kumar Yadav's quick 39 off 18 balls consisting a four and 4 sixes.
Shreyas, who has been drafted into the India T20I squad on Friday, can take heart from the fact that he emerged top run-getter in the knockout phase with 199 runs at an average of 66.33 with a strike rate over 117. Rahane, who has been not in the scheme of things in white ball cricket, could take solace from the fact that he emerged second in the run-getter chart with 190 runs averaging 95 but his strike rate of 78.51 came as a tad disappointing.
Brief scores: India C: 352/7 in 50 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 144 n.o., Ishan Kishan 114, Surya Kumar Yadav 39; Jaidev Unadkat 3/52, Mayank Markande 2/70) beat India B: 323 all out in 46.1 overs (Shreyas Iyer 148, Ruturaj Gaikwad 60, Ankush Bains 37; Pappu Roy 3/75, Nitin Saini 2/47) by 29 runs.