In the only double-header in Asia Cup 2025, hosts UAE will take on Oman in the first game of the day at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. It is a Group A clash that will not grab much eyeballs among the fans and media alike, but it is an important game for both teams to keep their slim hopes of qualification for the next stage alive. Both suffered heavy defeats in their opening games and will be eager to prove a point.
UAE led by Muhammad Waseem lost heavily to India as nothing went right for them on that evening and were bundled out for 57 and the chase from India was completed in a jiffy and the hosts have a bad net run rate to show for. Oman, on the other hand, had a better showing against Pakistan as their bowlers did a decent job in keeping Pakistan to 160. But the batting caved in post powerplay similar to UAE and they were skittled out for 67 to lose by a big margin as well. Both teams will be desperate for a win in a battle of associate nations.
Overview
This is the 7th match of the tournament in which the previous six matches have been one-sided to say the least. One would hope that this is somewhat of a close contest. UAE were annihilated by India in their tournament opener and have a horrible net run rate of -10.483. They were always going to come second against a giant team like India, but the way they lost shows that they are still miles behind in the cricketing arena.
Put into bat first, the UAE openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem made it into double figures and that was the last bit of positivity for the UAE side. They were decimated as they failed to tackle a world class bowling attack and were bundled out for 57 in 13.1 overs.
Only Junaid Siddique, who dismissed Abhishek Sharma, managed to give UAE something to cheer about as the Men in Blue made a mockery of the little run chase. UAE surrendered to India in just 4.3 overs as they accepted their fate, losing by 9 wickets. However, the UAE skipper Waseem has stated that they are a much better team than they showed against India, and they are eager to put on a show in this game.
Their opponents Oman on the other hand, were humbled by Pakistan in their opening game and their net run rate also took a massive dent and is reading at -4.650. Debutant Faisal Shah and senior pro Aamir Kaleem bowled inspiring spells. They picked up three wickets each, while Mohammad Nadeem picked up a wicket as Oman managed to keep Pakistan in check for the majority of the innings. However, the Men in Green managed to post a competitive 160/7 in 20 overs.
It was a sad story for Oman thereafter with the bat in hand as they were skittled out for just 67 in 16.4 overs, losing the contest by a huge margin of 93 runs. Hammad Mirza top-scored with 27, while Kaleem and Shakeel Ahmed were the other two batters who breached the double figure mark.
Hassnain Ali Shah walked off the field after bowling only three overs, as he had an issue with his right leg. However, he came out to bat, which suggested that he had recovered in time.
A fascinating and intriguing battle awaits us all as these two teams eye important two points in order to stay mathematically alive in the competition. The loser of this match will definitely pack their bags and go home. Who will come out on top? That remains to be seen.
Head-To-Head
UAE and Oman and have clashed in 10 T20Is so far with the hosts holding a slight edge. UAE have won 6 matches while their opponents Oman have won 4 matches. The last time they met was in 15th December 2024, which UAE won and they have won the last three matches against Oman. Will the tide change in Abu Dhabi? Only time will tell.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi is generally balanced in nature. It offers help for the pacers in general, but the spinners play a role in the middle overs. Batters have to apply themselves and can score runs once they are in. This will be a day game and so, dew will not be a factor here for sure. Expect a score of around 160 to be competitive. Chasing is generally the way to go, but teams might want to avoid the heat and bat first.
The weather will be scorching hot as this is an early game starting at 4PM Local Time in Abu Dhabi. So, the sun will be out and it will be challenging and uncomfortable for the players. The temperature will be close to 40 degrees Celsius and there maybe a breeze as Abu Dhabi is an open ground. There is no chance of rain and we can expect a full game of cricket.
Predicted/Probable Playing XIS of Both Sides
UAE Playing XI: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Mohammad Zuhaib Khan, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Junaid Siddique, Simranjeet Singh Kang.
Oman Playing XI: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Faisal Shah, Hassnain Ali Shah, Mohammad Nadeem, Zikria Islam, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash:Â
Muhammad Waseem: The captain of UAE is just not a leader but their best batter in the team. Waseem has had a decent run and have done well against even higher ranked opponents. He has the capability of changing the game on its head by his own batting. He will fancy his chances against Oman as he loves playing against the associate nations. He loves batting and UAE will look up to him to provide the team a solid start.
Junaid Siddique: The spearhead of the UAE bowling attack, Junaid Siddique is the only UAE bowler and the first one as well to get to 100 T20I wickets. While he has managed to take wickets, his economy rate has been on the higher side. With this being a must-win game, UAE will want their talisman bowler to step up and take wickets while also controlling the run flow as much as possible. He will be a key performer to watch out for.
Jatinder Singh: The captain of Oman missed out on the previous game, but he is a quality batter at the top of the order. Jatinder has to provide the team solid starts if they want to do well and challenge UAE. He has experience at the associate level and knows how to perform as a player. He will be looking to perform well and give Oman the perfect start with bat in hand. He will be one of the key players no doubt.
Hammad Mirza: Hammad Mirza showed great resistance in the previous game against Pakistan and he would want to continue in the same vein in this game against UAE. Batting at 3 which is an important position in the side, Mirza will hope to continue doing well and put up substantial score as Oman will like to put the runs on the board and see how it goes. Mirza needs to show consistency out in the middle.
Key Stats To Look Forward To In This Match:Â
- Muhammad Waseem needs 59 more runs to complete 3000 T20I runs.
- Alishan Sharafu needs 29 runs to complete 1300 T20I runs.
- Aamir Kaleem is 7 runs away from completing 600 T20I runs.
Predicted Outcome of the Match
It’s the clash of the associate nations and a battle of equals in more ways than one. This match can go either way one feels as the team that bats better will go onto win. It also depends on the conditions on offer in Abu Dhabi. Looking at recent form and the familiarity in conditions, we feel UAE will start this match as favourites. They have better experience in the team than Oman.
But Oman will be no pushovers and will challenge UAE for sure as they have a point to prove in this must-win clash. They will believe they can beat the hosts. Which team will come out on top? We have to wait and find out as the match is set to begin at 5:30 PM IST in Abu Dhabi.
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