Oman's cricket team put up a commendable performance against India in the Asia Cup 2025, despite ultimately falling short. In the final group league fixture, India defeated Oman by 21 runs. The match saw India strategically experiment with their batting order, while Oman displayed resilience with the bat, making India work hard for their victory.
India, having won the toss and elected to bat, posted a total of 188/8 in their 20 overs. Sanju Samson anchored the innings with a solid 56 off 45 balls, while Abhishek Sharma provided early momentum with a quickfire 38 off 15 deliveries. Axar Patel (26 off 13) and Tilak Varma also contributed with valuable cameos, ensuring India reached a competitive score. Suryakumar Yadav, in a surprising move, remained unused, as Harshit Rana and other bowlers were promoted in the batting order. This decision highlighted India's intent to provide exposure to their middle and lower order batsmen. Oman's bowlers, despite the high score, put up a spirited performance, claiming wickets at regular intervals and preventing India from accelerating further.
Chasing a target of 189, Oman started cautiously but soon found themselves in a spot of bother, losing their first wicket cheaply. However, a brilliant 93-run partnership between Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza revived their hopes. Kaleem struck a valiant 64 off 46 balls, while Mirza slammed 51 off 33 deliveries. Their aggressive strokeplay kept the Indian bowlers at bay and brought the required run rate down. However, once this partnership was broken, Oman struggled to maintain the momentum. Despite some late hitting from Jiten Ramanandi, they eventually fell short, finishing at 167/4 in their allotted 20 overs.
India's bowling attack, led by Arshdeep Singh and Jiten Ramanandi, kept Oman under pressure, claiming key wickets at crucial moments. Arshdeep Singh also reached a milestone, becoming the first Indian to reach 100 T20I wickets. India's smart bowling changes and tight fielding further contributed to their victory.
The match served as a valuable opportunity for India to test their bench strength and experiment with different batting combinations. Sanju Samson's promotion to No. 3 allowed him to gain valuable top-order experience, while Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya were given opportunities to bat higher up the order. Although India couldn't reach the 200-run mark, the batting lineup displayed depth and adaptability.
Oman's performance, despite the loss, was commendable. Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza's impressive half-centuries demonstrated their batting prowess, while their bowlers showed discipline and control. Oman's spirited fight ensured that India had to work hard for their victory, providing a good test for the Indian team ahead of the Super 4 stage. This was the first international meeting between India and Oman.
