India defeated Oman in the Asia Cup 2025 to maintain an unbeaten group stage
Oman put up a strong fight, with notable performances, but couldn’t chase the target
India won by 21 runs and now advance to face Pakistan; Oman exit the tournament winless
India wrap up their group stage campaign in the Asia Cup 2025 maintaining an unbeaten record, following a 21-run victory over Oman at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Friday, 19 September.
The match began with India winning the toss and electing to bat first. While setting a target looked straightforward, Oman made sure to fight back, bowling and fielding well to restrict the T20 world champions to 188 for 8.
India surprised everyone by slotting Suryakumar Yadav at No. 11, and he never got a chance to bat. Oman, however, fought back with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding, making the contest competitive despite India’s firepower.
India’s innings was powered by the brilliance of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek tore through the bowling with a quickfire 38 off 15 balls, showcasing his destructive strokeplay on a pitch that offered some turn.
Samson, stepping in at No.3, played a steady yet aggressive knock, reaching a 41-ball fifty to stabilize India after the early fall of wickets. Useful contributions from Tilak Varma (29 off 18), Axar Patel (26 off 13), and Harshit Rana (13* off 8) helped India reach 188 for 8, setting Oman a challenging target to chase.
Oman’s bowlers had their moments, with left-arm seamer Shah Faisal striking early to bowl Shubman Gill for 5 and finishing with two wickets at under a run a ball.
Jiten Ramanandi and Aamir Kaleem chipped in with two wickets each, with Jiten also involved in key run-outs, including Hardik Pandya for just 1. Oman’s bowlers showed fight, gaining valuable experience and plenty of positives to take home.
Oman’s chase began steadily, and what initially looked like an easy task for India quickly became competitive as Aamir Kaleem and Jatinder Singh held the crease.
India struggled to get a breakthrough in the powerplay, while Kaleem entered the T20I record books keeping the innings together, smashing a brilliant 64, before Hardik Pandya took a stunning long-leg catch. Hammad Mirza also contributed a well-made half-century, keeping Oman in the hunt.
Arshdeep Singh claimed his 100th T20I wicket, becoming the first Indian bowler to reach the milestone. Despite their fight, Oman fell short but walked away with plenty of positives from their maiden Asia Cup outing.
Winless in their three games, Oman exit the tournament alongside Afghanistan, UAE, and Hong Kong. Samson was named Player of the Match, and at the end, Suryakumar Yadav was seen chatting with the Oman team and taking pictures with them. India will now face Pakistan in their first Super 4 match on Sunday, 21 September.
