12 wides in an over by its pacer but Indian team enters final of Red Bull Cricket

Pacer Piyush Salvi conceded 12 wides in an over of 16 deliveries but that eventually did not matter in the end as India thrashed Zimbabwe by 136 runs to storm into the summit clash of Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals here Thursday.

India, represented by Marathwada Mitra Mandal College of Commerce from Pune, rode on a fine unbeaten 133 from captain Subham Nagawade to post 244 for two in their allotted 20 overs after electing to bat.

Opener Nagawade, who is also the wicketkeeper, smashed four boundaries and as many as 15 sixes during his 67-ball blitzkrieg as he carried his bat through the 20-over innings in his side's final league match at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground.

Nagawade stitched 103 runs with his opening partner Murtaza Shabbir (39) while he shared another 129 runs with Rohan Damie (50) for the third wicket. Nagawade on Thursday became the only centurion of the tournament.

Chasing a huge target of 245 for an improbable win, Zimbabwe, represented by the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, could score just 109 for 9 from 20 overs to crash out of the tournament after finishing at the bottom of the six-team league table.

Chobeezi Siakola top-scored with a 24-ball 20 while three other batsmen could cross double-digit figures as the batsmen of the Zimbabwean university side were all at sea on how to negotiate the Indian bowlers.

But, this was after Piyush Salvi underwent the agony of a seemingly never ending over early into the Zimbabwean run chase. It was, in fact, the second over of Zimbabwe innings and Salvi sent down wide after wide as his team-mates and the Indian camp looked in disbelief.

Salvi sent down 10 balls as wide but since the Zimbabwean batsmen scored a single each from two such deliveries, he conceded 12 runs as wide in the over which was his first and final in the match as his captain immediately took him off the attack.

For India, Shubham Taiswal took four wickets for nine runs to emerge as the top bowler.

India, who topped the league table with 10 points after winning all their five matches, straightway made it to the final to be played on September 29. Pakistan and hosts Sri Lanka face each other tomorrow in a play-off at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground to earn the right to play against India in the final.

Pakistan, represented by University of Karachi, finished second in the league table with eight points from four wins and one loss (at the hands of India) while Sri Lanka, represented by Business Management School, stood third with six points.

D A V College Chandigarh had won the expanded edition of the tournament in 2013 while Rizvi College from Mumbai won the inaugural event in 2012 when it was competed among Asian countries only. This is the third time Marathwada Mitra Mandal College of Commerce from Pune is representing India in the tournament and the team is making its first appearance in the final.

Red Bull Campus Cricket is a global T20 cricket tournament for university teams, serving as an international platform for young and budding cricketers to showcase their talent and hone their skills. Teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and United Arab Emirates took part in this edition.