India Vs Oman, Asia Cup 2025: Will Men In Blue Tinker With Playing XI For Dead Rubber?

India's final group match at the Asia Cup 2025, against underdogs Oman at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, offers a rare opportunity for experimentation. With two wins in two, the Men in Blue have already confirmed a spot in the Super Four stage.

The holders left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a 15-member team, but have fielded an unchanged playing XI in the previous Group A matches against the UAE and Pakistan.

Four players were still warming the bench. But at least a couple could get crucial gametime tonight.

IND Vs OMA, Asia Cup 205: Likely Changes In India Playing XI

Among the unused squad members, Arshdeep Singh and Rinku Singh are the likeliest to feature against Oman.

Jasprit Bumrah may be rested, opening the door for Arshdeep, India's most successful T20I bowler with 99 wickets in 63 matches at an average of 18.30 and economy of 8.29. The 26-year-old left-arm pacer last played for India in January 2025, in a T20I against visiting England.

Rinku Singh, with 546 runs from 24 innings at an average of 42 and a strike rate of 161.06, is a destructive lower-order batter. Shivam Dube's all-round utility has kept the 27-year-old out so far. But that can change today. He last played for India in February 2025, in a T20I, against England.

Jitesh Sharma, a wicketkeeper-batter known for his finishing prowess, has 100 runs in nine T20Is at a strike rate of 147.05. A natural fit for the number six role, but Sanju Samson's presence complicates selection. Furthermore, Samson hasn't batted yet in the tournament. The 31-year-old last played for India in January 2024, against Afghanistan.

Harshit Rana, the least experienced of the four, is a right-arm quick who debuted earlier this year, and is yet to play a second game. The 23-year-old right-arm pacer's raw pace and IPL form earned him a call-up, but with Arshdeep ahead in the pecking order and Bumrah still in the mix, Rana may have to wait longer.

If India opt for rotation, Arshdeep and Rinku are the most probable inclusions. Jitesh and Harshit remain outside bets, contingent on deeper changes to the XI.

India Vs Oman, Asia Cup 2025 Squads

India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana.

Oman Squad: Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Wasim Ali, Hassnain Shah, Shah Faisal, Jiten Ramanandi, Aryan Bisht, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Karan Sonavale, Ashish Odedara, Mohammad Imran, Zikria Islam, Nadeem Khan, and Sufyan Yousaf.