Krishnappa Gowtham's late assault proved to the difference as India B registered a comprehensive 51-run win over India C to win the Deodhar Trophy title, in Ranchi, on Monday.
Kedar Jadhav rallied India B with a well-calculated 86-run knock before left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem claimed four wickets to play crucial roles in the final.
Electing to bat, India B recovered from early jolts to post a competitive 283 for seven in their 50 overs, courtesy of well-compiled fifties by Jadhav and Yashasvi Jaiswal (54) and a brilliant late cameo from all-rounder Gowtham.
Karnataka and Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Gowtham's late assault with the bat made the difference in the end, as he smashed a quickfire 35 not out from 10 balls, including three sixes and as many fours. He hammered India C pacer Diwesh Pathania for three sixes and a four in the 49th over, which went for as many as 31 runs to turn the tide in his team's favour as they ended up on a healthy 283 for seven in their 50 overs.
Vijay Shankar also boosted the scoring in the middle with an attacking innings of 45 from 33 balls.
The bowlers led by Shahbaz Nadeem (4/32) and Mohammed Siraj (2/43) then joined the party as India B restricted India C to 231 for 9 to complete the victory.
India C lost captain Shubman Gill (1) early, who had become the youngest captain to lead a side in the Deodhar Trophy final, surpassing Virat Kohli's 10-year-old record.
After Gill's departure, Mayank Agarwal (28) and Priyam Garg (74) added 54 runs before the former was sent back by Nadeem in the 12th over.
In the next over, Virat Singh, who had scored a superb 76 in the last match, was run out by Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Nadeem then sent back Suryakumar Yadav for three in the 16th over before he accounted for rival skipper Dinesh Karthik (3) in his next over to leave them tottering on 77 for five in the 18th over.
Last match's hero Axar Patel then joined hands with Garg and put on 63 runs for the sixth wicket to steady India C. However, Garg was bowled by pacer Mohammed Siraj as he tried to play a big shot only but missed and was bowled.
Once Patel walked back to the hut in the 35th over, it seemed all over for India C.
Jalaj S Saxena (36 not out) and Mayank Markande (27) took the team across the 200-mark but scoring at more than 10 runs an over in the remaining overs proved too tall a task for the tail-enders.
Earlier, medium pacer Ishan Porel (5/43) returned with a five-wicket haul but India B still managed to post a decent score on the board courtesy of Gowtham's whirlwind innings.
Porel struck early as India B lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) in the first over and then skipper Parthiv Patel (14) too was back in the hut in the ninth over as they slipped to 28 for two.
Saxena then trapped Baba Aparajith (13) in the 21st over.
Jaiswal took the team close to the 100-mark even as he scored a 79-ball 54 which was studded with five boundaries and a six.
However, Axar sent him packing in the 25th over to reduce India B to 92 for four at the halfway stage.
Nitish Rana (20) and Jadhav got the innings back on track as they added 79 runs for the fifth wicket before Porel came back to get rid of the former as India B lost half their side for 171 in the 39th over.
Shankar then joined Jadhav and added 74 runs to take India B closed to the 250-mark. The TN all-rounder smashed four boundaries and two sixes in his innings before falling to Porel.
