Question:

'The team ______ more than 300 runs in 20 overs ___________ rains. However, some players needed to improve their batting skills.'
Choose the option with the correct sequence of words to fill the blanks.

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Check which verb form is a proper finite past-tense verb, then pick the preposition that means "even though".
Updated On: Aug 17, 2026
  • score; despite
  • scoring; instead of
  • scored; despite
  • scoring; in spite of
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Question.
The question tests subject-verb tense agreement and the correct preposition of concession. The sentence needs a main verb that matches the past-tense clue "needed" later on, and a word meaning "notwithstanding" before the noun "rains".

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach.
Check each option for (a) whether the verb form is a valid finite past-tense verb, and (b) whether the preposition correctly means "even though" when placed directly before a noun.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
"score; despite": "score" is the base form of the verb. Used alone without an auxiliary verb like "did" or "will", it cannot serve as the main verb of a finite sentence, so this option is grammatically incomplete.
"scoring; instead of": "scoring" is a present participle, not a finite verb, so the sentence again lacks a proper main verb. "instead of" means "in place of", which changes the meaning: the team did not score runs in place of rain, it scored runs even though it rained.
"scored; despite": "scored" is the simple past tense, matching the past-tense verb "needed" later in the passage. "despite" is a preposition of concession used directly before a noun ("despite rains"), which fits here.
"scoring; in spite of": "scoring" again fails as a finite main verb. "in spite of" carries the same meaning as "despite" and would work if paired with a proper verb, but the verb form here is still wrong.

Step 4: Final Answer.
Option (C) is correct because "scored" gives the sentence a proper finite past-tense verb that agrees with "needed", and "despite" correctly introduces the noun "rains" with the meaning of concession.
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