The Men in Blue India held their nerves to win this game by 21 runs in Abu Dhabi against Oman. They made it 3 wins out of 3 games and they did it by batting first. Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, India made 188/8 on the back of Sanju Samson’s 56, Abhishek Sharma’s 38 and Tilak Varma’s 29 amongst others to get to that score.
Oman in reply, did really well through half centuries from Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza as Oman batted out of their skins to score 167/4 in 20 overs and went down bravely and fighting by 21 runs. It was a good game of cricket and India deserved the win, but Oman fought really well out there to say the least.
Sanju Samson’s 56 helps India to put on a huge score of 188/8 in 20 overs
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out to bat for India while Shakeel Ahmed had ball in hand for Oman. Abhishek survived an LBW appeal first ball as the fielding team burnt a review as it was pitching outside the leg stump. Shubman Gill got himself going with a crisp drive through extra covers for a boundary. Faisal Shah came into the attack from the other end. He got rid of Gill for 5 off 8 balls with a boundary to his name.
Faisal bowled an overpitched delivery around off-stump and inswinger from Faisal. Gill played a loose shot as he leaned forward and looked to play the off-drive. He left a gap between bat and ball. Gill was nowhere to the pitch of the ball as well. The ball sneaked through the gate and crashed into the off-stump which was sent for a walk. Sanju Samson came out to bat next.
Shakeel continued and was greeted with a boundary from Abhishek Sharma as he heaved it away through backward point region for a boundary. Then he took on the same bowler by depositing over deep midwicket for the maximum. Abhishek also hit Shakeel over mid-on for a boundary. Samson then hit Faisal for the maximum over deep midwicket and got to 50 T20I sixes in T20I. Abhishek survived a run out chance as he made it back to his crease easily.
Mohammad Nadeem came into the attack next. Abhishek welcomed him with a boundary as he got it into the gap at cover point for a boundary. Nadeem gave away wides to the fielding side although replays showed that the ball hit the bat. Abhishek then climbed onto Nadeem by hitting him for two consecutive boundaries through covers and the other through backward square leg.
Jiten Ramanandi came into the attack to bowl the final over of the powerplay. The 50 came up for India in 5.1 overs. Abhishek then launched Jiten over top of mid-off as the ball cleared long-off fence with ease. At the end of 6 overs at the end of the powerplay, India were 60/1. Samay Shrivastava was introduced into the attack next. Samson greeted him with a maximum straight down the ground over the bowler’s head. Then he hit him for a boundary over the top of extra cover for a boundary.
Ramanandi got rid of the big fish Abhishek Sharma for 38 off 15 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Jiten bowled from over the wicket a short and wide ball outside off-stump with width offered. It was a hit me delivery from Jiten. Abhishek threw his hands at it and got a thick outside edge as the keeper Healy took a regulation catch. Hardik Pandya came into the crease next and got off the mark straightaway.
Against the run of play, Hardik was run out for 1 off 1 ball as complete miscommunicaton led to the dismissal of Hardik as there was a yes and no situation out there. Axar Patel came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Patel then hit Shrivastava for a boundary straight over the bowler’s head. Zikria Islam came into the attack next. Samson slammed a maximum over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Soon, India brought up their 100 in 10 overs for the loss of 3 wickets as the players paused for the Drinks Break.
Shakeel Ahmed came back into the attack after the break. Axar smashed down the ground over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Axar hit Shakeel for a boundary smashing it in the gap through covers for a boundary. Aamir Kaleem came into the attack next as he was welcomed with a maximum from Axar Patel as he was down on one knee and slog swept him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Kaleem hit back and got rid of Axar for 26 off 13 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name.
Kaleem bowled a quicker and skiddy delivery on short of a length outside the off-stump line. Axar went back in the crease to cut but misjudged the bounce. He got a thick under edge which was taken very well by Vinayak Shukla behind the stumps. Shivam Dube came out to bat next. Samson hit Kaleem for a boundary past short third man.
Zikria Islam came back into the attack. He bowled a tidy over. Kaleem continued and got rid of Dube for 5 off 8 balls. He bowled from over the wicket full and wide outside off-stump, slightly turning back in. Dube got down on one knee to go big down the ground. The bat face turned in his hands taking the top edge high in the off-side. Jatinder from long-off ran in from the fence and took a good high catch. Tilak Varma came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Zikria Islam bowled a tidy over as India were 140/5 in 15 overs. Tilak then decided to take it on and hit Kaleem for the maximum by smashing down the ground for the maximum. He then hit Kaleem for a boundary by playing a reverse sweep and getting it between the keeper and short third man. Jiten Ramanandi returned to the attack as Verma launched a maximum over the bowler’s head. Sanju Samson got to his fifty with a boundary as he hit the low full toss through the short third man for a boundary. He got to his fifty off 41 balls and his 3rd T20I fifty in his career.
Faisal Shah returned and got rid of Sanju Samson for 56 off 45 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Faisal bowled a good length delivery pitching just outside the off-stump. Samson premeditates to hit the ball in the leg side. He shuffled across and looked to clip the ball across, failed to read the slower one and miscued it straight to Bisht who ran to his left from deep square leg to collect the catch. Harshit Rana came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Ramanandi came to bowl the 19th over. He dismissed Tilak Varma for 29 off 18 balls with one boundary and 2 sixes to his name. He bowled another slower ball on a good length delivery pitching outside the off-stump and seaming slightly away. Varma cleared his front leg and lost his shape and tried to whack it away over mid-off but got a top edge. Zikria Islam at extra cover back pedalled and took a fine catch over his head. He tumbled on the ground but held onto the chance. Arshdeep Singh came out to bat and got off the mark straightaway.
There was another run out in the innings as Arshdeep Singh was run out for 1 off 1 ball. Kuldeep Yadav came out to bat next. Faisal Shah bowled the final over and the final ball of the innings was smashed for the maximum by Harshit Rana over extra covers as he finished on 13* off 8 balls while Kuldeep Yadav stayed unbeaten on 1 off 3 balls. India finished with 188/8 in 20 overs with 13 extras given by the fielding side.
Oman bowlers bowled really well to keep India under check. Faisal Shah finished with 2/23 in 4 overs. He was ably supported by Jiten Ramanandi who finished with 2/33 in 4 overs. Aamir Kaleem finished with 2/31 in 3 overs. There were two run outs in the innings. Shakeel Ahmed finished with 0/33 in 3 overs. Mohammad Nadeem’s only over went for 19 runs. Samay Shrivastava gave away 23 runs in 2 overs. Zikria Islam finished with 0/23 in 3 overs. This meant Oman needed 189 runs to win in 20 overs to pull off a monumental upset in Abu Dhabi.
Aamir Kaleem & Hammad Mirza’s Sparkling 50s Helps Oman Get Close to the Target as they fall short by 21 runs
Chasing 189 for the win, captain Jatinder Singh came out to bat for Aamir Kaleem while Hardik Pandya had ball in hand for India. Kaleem made his intentions clear as he hit Pandya for a boundary over covers. Arshdeep Singh shared the new ball from the other end. Jatinder hit him for a boundary through mid-on. Hardik continued as Jatinder hit him for a boundary through the off-side at cover region. Harshit Rana came into the attack next. Kaleem hit him through the fine leg region for a boundary.
Arshdeep continued and bowled a tidy over. Rana continued as Jatinder hit him for a boundary square of the wicket. Jatinder was not done yet as he hit Rana for another boundary through midwicket and mid-on region. At the end of the powerplay, Oman were 44/0 in 6 overs and off to a steady start. Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next and overstepped as a Free Hit followed which yielded a single for the batting side. The 50-run opening stand came up in 6.4 overs.
Axar Patel came into the attack next as Jatinder got down on one knee and reverse swept over short third man to the fence. Axar thought he had Jatinder dismissed but the captain reviewed and got the decision back in their favour. Kuldeep thought he had Kaleem and reviewed the decision which meant they lost the review. Kuldeep got India the breakthrough as he dismissed Jatinder Singh for 32 off 33 balls with 5 fours to his name.
Kuldeep bowled a shorter delivery on the middle stump turning back in, Jatinder went back in the crease to pull but it was a bit too quick for the right hander. He got an inside edge and back onto the off-stump. Hammad Mirza came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Shivam Dube came into the attack next and bowled a decent over as Oman reached 62/1 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase as players paused for the Drinks Break.
Tilak Varm
a came into the attack after the break. Mirza hit him by sweeping through deep backward square leg for a boundary. Mirza took on Dube and ramped him over the keeper’s head for a boundary. Abhishek Sharma came into the attack next as Kaleem heaved over deep midwicket for the maximum. Mirza then hit Sharma for a boundary through the backward point region. Hardik returned to the attack as Kaleem got a top edge over the keeper for a boundary as the 100 came up in 13.5 overs for Oman.
Mirza then was dropped by Axar Patel at mid-off and he hurt his head and went off the field off Dube. Kaleem hit Dube for a boundary over mid-off. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Kaleem smashed Dube over wide long-on for the maximum. Soon, Aamir reached his fifty off 38 balls. After 15 overs, Oman were 116/1. Kuldeep Yadav returned to the attack as Hammad took him on and deposited him for consecutive sixes. Arshdeep Singh returned to the attack as Hammad cut it away down to the deep backward point fence for a boundary.
Kaleem too hit Arshdeep Singh through deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Harshit Rana came back into the attack and was smashed for two consecutive boundaries by Kaleem. Then Rana got rid of Kaleem for 64 off 46 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes to his name. It was a slower ball from Rana on a length at the pads, it was a bad ball, Kaleem got down on one knee and swept it firmly behind square on the leg side. It was six written all over it but Hardik Pandya had other plans. He ran to his right from long leg and kept his eyes on the ball and stretched both hus hands and grabbed a fabulous catch with both hands. Zikria Islam came out to bat next.
Hammad Mirza hit Hardik Pandya for a boundary through mid-off and got to his fifty in 30 balls. India wasted a review against Mirza for caught behind but Hardik got him a few balls later for 51 off 33 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name. It was a hard length delivery around the middle and leg stump. Mirza got cramped for room and he mistimed the flat batted stroke which ballooned over the bowler’s head. Rinku at mid-off moves to his right and took a simple catch. Vinayak Shukla came to the crease and got off the mark straightaway.
Arshdeep Singh got his 100th T20I wicket as he dismissed Vinayak Shukla for 1 off 2 balls. He banged it short into the wicket around middle and leg stump. Shukla mistimed the pull shot on the leg side. Rinku at deep midwicket came in and took a good catch. Jiten Ramanandi came to the crease next. Ramanandi hit Arshdeep for a boundary over mid-off. He hit another boundary by pulling over mid-on for a boundary. The final ball also went for a boundary as Jiten drove him past backward point for a boundary. Ramanandi remained unbeaten on 12 off 5 balls with 3 boundaries to his name while Islam was unbeaten on 0* off 2 balls. 7 extras given by India as Oman finished with 167/4 in 20 overs.
Indian bowlers had to toil hard with Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Kuldeep Yadav picking a wicket each as India used 8 bowlers tonight with others remaining wicketless. India finish with 3 wins out of 3 games and topping the Group A.
What Lies Ahead
The Group Stage is over and it’s time for the Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2025. We are in Dubai for the first Super 4 game as Sri Lanka takes on Bangladesh on 20th September 2025 at 8 PM IST. Which team will start their campaign on a winning note? Only time will tell as we get closer to live action in Dubai.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Sanju Samson’s 56 Highlights India’s 188/8 In 20 Overs