Shafali Verma’s heroics steered India C to the T20 Challenger Trophy title after an emphatic eight-wicket victory against India B in the final on Thursday.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, India B posted 131/6 in their 20 overs as Pooja Vastakar’s late cameo (43 not out) ensured a respectable total on board. Manali Dakshini (3/15) was the pick of the bowlers for India C while Dayalan Hemalatha and Rajeshwari Gaekwad bagged one wicket each.

However, the target was chased down comfortably by India C thanks to the brilliance of young Verma. The opener smashed 89 from just 45 balls as the opposition failed to find any breakthroughs during the powerplay.

India C lost their first wicket just before the start of the tenth over after Madhuri Metha’s run-out. Veda Krishnamurthy was the second batter to depart after India C crossed the 100-run mark but Verma took her side over the finishing line, sealing the victory in convincing fashion.

Brief scores: India B 131/6 in 20 overs (Pooja Vastrakar 43*, Vellaswamy Vanitha 25; Manali Dakshini 3/15) lose to India C 135/2 in 15.2 overs (Shafali Verma 89*, Madhuri Mehta 20; Shikha Pandey 1/31) by eight wickets.