Triton International College upstaged big names to claim the College Cricket League Twenty20 title with a five-wicket victory over Golden Gate International College in the final on Sunday.

Electing to field first in the wet outfield caused by the overnight rain at the TU Stadium, Triton restricted Golden Gate to 126-7 with another half century from national team star Dipendra Singh Airee saving the latter’s blushes. Pradeep Airee and Aadil Khan played Golden Gate bowlers sensibly with a half century partnership before a six-ball cameo from Bikram Sob steered Triton to 127-5 in 19.2 overs. Along with the title, Triton received Rs 222,222 and runners-up Golden Gate got Rs 111,111.

Triton didn’t have best of the starts at 16-2 before Airee and Khan kept them in the hunt with a 65-run third wicket partnership. Abinash Bohora then brought Golden Gate back in the game after he removed Khan and explosive Binod Bhandari (11) in his consecutive overs. Just as it seemed Golden Gate were about to seal the game leaving Triton with 15 to get from last eight balls, Sob displayed his power hitting. The fast bowler struck Bohora for consecutive sixes in the last two balls of the penultimate over to virtually throw Golden Gate out of contest. Airee was unbeaten on a run-a-ball 45 and man-of-the-final Sob made 17 not out. Khan chipped in 33 off 32 with two sixes and as many fours.

Earlier, Golden Gate lost Sharad Vesawkar and Anil Sah with just eight runs on the board before Dipendra stemmed the wicket flow with a 42-run partnership for the third wicket with Sumit Maharjan. He did the majority of scoring and was out for a 50-ball 61 not out after hitting five fours and two sixes. Maharjan contributed 20 off 24 to the total hitting two boundaries and one maximum. Jitendra Singh Thakuri (16) and Sonu Tamang (11) were other Golden Gate batsmen to make runs in double figures. Sob, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and Arun Airee took two wickets each for Golden Gate.

Dipendra, who struck a century and two half centuries in the tournament, was adjudged the player-of-the-tournament for his allround display. He got Rs 25,000. Khan (batsman) and Rupesh Srivastav (bowler) of Kathmandu University were other two individual winners. They got Rs 10,000 apiece. In all, 12 teams had participated in the tournament organised by University Cricket Club.