Pakistan registered a comfortable win over Oman to kickstart their campaign in style in Asia Cup 2025. Pakistan played like a team determined to do well as they came out all guns blazing and outplayed Oman in all facets of the game. They won by 93 runs to make a statement. Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Pakistan rode on a brilliant 66 off 43 balls from Mohammad Haris to post a competitive 160/7 in 20 overs against a spirited Oman side who bowled decently.
In the second innings, an all-round bowling display led by the spinners bamboozled Oman for 67 in 16.4 overs to win by 93 runs as none of the Oman batters got going. Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Faheem Ashraf got 2 wickets apiece while the rest chipped in as well. Pakistan are in second place and are ready for the India battle on Sunday for sure.
Mohammad Haris’ Powerful 66 Propels Pakistan to 160/7 in 20 overs.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub came out to bat for Pakistan while Faisal Shah had ball in hand for Oman. Farhan got off the mark with a brace but Ayub fell for a golden duck to Faisal. It was a fuller length ball on the middle stump line, Ayub looked to go for an ambitious stroke and bent his back knee for a pick up shot on the leg side and missed it on the inside edge and got hit on the back knee roll. Huge appeal and the finger went up. The review was taken and came back as three reds as Pakistan lost a wicket and review.
Mohammad Haris came out to bat next and got himself a boundary through forward square leg. Shakeel Ahmed came onto bowl next as Farhan was dropped at cover point by Aamir Kaleem as the right-hander got a reprieve. Haris got into the act as he hit Faisal Shah for a boundary through extra covers. Shakeel bowled another decent over. Mohammad Nadeem came into the attack next as Oman burnt a review against Haris for a LBW appeal. Nadeem kept things relatively tight.
Aamir Kaleem came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Farhan got down on one knee and lofted him over the bowler’s head for a welcome boundary after 15 balls. Haris then took on Kaleem and smashed him for the first maximum of the day via a slog sweep over deep midwicket. He also hit a lofted extra cover drive for a boundary as Pakistan ended the powerplay at 47/1 in 6 overs.
Nadeem continued after the powerplay as Haris hit him for a boundary through the deep midwicket region as the 50 came up in 6.2 overs. The 50-run stand came up between the two players as well. Samay Shrivastava came into the attack next as Haris took him on and nailed the slog sweep over midwicket for the maximum. Haris was not done yet as he hit Samay for another boundary past the leaping short fine leg fielder.
Hassnain Ali Shah came into the attack next and bowled a decent over. Sufyan Mehmood came into the attack next as Haris smashed him over midwicket for a huge maximum as he got to his fifty his first in this format in 32 balls. He was not done yet as he hit Mehmood over deep midwicket with a hack for a boundary. After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Pakistan were 85/1 with the players taking a Drinks Break.
Aamir Kaleem came back into the attack after the break. Kaleem got rid of Farhan for 29 off 29 balls with a boundary to his name. He tossed it up too full at middle and off-stump, the batter tried to heave it away over the bowler’s head but didn’t get anywhere near the ball and he miscued it back to the bowler who took a good low catch. Fakhar Zaman came out to bat next.
Hassnain returned to the action as Haris hit him by heaving towards fine leg region for a boundary. The 100 came up for Pakistan in 12.2 overs. Kaleem eventually dismissed the big fish Haris for 66 off 43 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Haris tried to be innovative and paid the price. The ball was slower in the air fuller in length at the middle and leg stump, Haris changed his grip and tried to play the switch hit as the ball dipped at the last second. The batter got a bottom edge as the ball deflected back onto the stumps. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next.
Salman fell first ball for a golden duck as Kaleem had two in two balls. It was high full toss outside off-stump, Salman could have hit it anywhere but hit it to deep midwicket fielder. Salman tried to stamp his class and slogged it in the leg side as he miscued it to deep midwicket fielder who took the catch. Hasan Nawaz came to the crease next. Shakeel Ahmed came back into the attack and bowled a tidy over. Kaleem’s hat-trick ball was negotiated well.
Zaman hit a boundary down the ground from the bowler’s head at long-on. After 15 overs, Pakistan were 111/4 with Kaleem finishing his good spell. Shakeel continued and bowled a miserly spell. Faisal Shah returned and got rid of Hasan Nawaz for 9 off 15 balls. Faisal took the pace off the ball with a back of the hand slower one as he tried to nail a yorker. He missed it by an inch as the very full ball well outside off-stump dipping into Hasan Nawaz. The batter waited for the ball and then heaved it over the off-side and got caught at deep point. Mohammad Nawaz came to the crease next.
He got off the mark with a boundary past backward point region. Nawaz then took on Hassnain Shah and hit him for back-to-back boundaries through extra cover and the scoop over the keeper’s head. Fakhar also joined in the party as he upper cut him through third man region for a boundary. Nawaz then hit Faisal for a boundary towards the fine leg region. Then Oman burnt a review against Nawaz for caught behind as there was no bat involved. Shah eventually got rid of Nawaz for 19 off 10 balls with 4 fours to his name.
Faisal bowled a fuller delivery outside off-stump, Nawaz prod low to wait for the ball and then slam it away. But he tried to go over mid-off but miscued it away straight to wide long-off where the fielder took an easy catch. Faheem Ashraf came out to bat next. Mohammad Nadeem was tasked to bowl the final over of the innings. Faheem hit him for a boundary by slicing him over backward point for a boundary. Nadeem then dismissed Ashraf for 8 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name.
It was a high full toss ball around the off-stump as Ashraf went deep into the crease and then swung his arms as he miscued it and the deep square leg fielder settled underneath it to take the catch at deep backward square leg. The TV umpire checked the height of the ball and he was happy with the height. Shaheen Afridi came out to face the last ball of the innings and got a brace to remain unbeaten on 2 off 1 ball. Fakhar Zaman remained unbeaten on 23 off 16 balls with 2 fours to his name as Pakistan finished with 160/7 in 20 overs with 4 extras given by the fielding side.
For Oman, their bowlers bowled decently. Faisal Shah was great on his debut with figures of 3/34 in 4 overs. Aamir Kaleem finished with 3/31 in 4 overs. Mohammad Nadeem finished with 1/23 in 3 overs. Shakeel Ahmed bowled a miserly spell of 0/17 in 4 overs. Samay Shrivastava’s only over went for 12 runs. Hassnain Ali Shah went for 31 in 3 overs while Sufyan Mehmood’s only over went for 12 runs. This meant that Oman needed 161 to win off 20 overs to pull off a monumental upset in Dubai.
All-Round Bowling Display Skittles Oman Out for 67 in 16.4 overs
Chasing 161 for the win, Aamir Kaleem and Jatinder Singh came out to bat for Oman while Shaheen Afridi had ball in hand for Pakistan. Afridi bowled a miserly first over. Saim Ayub had ball in hand for the second over and got rid of captain Jatinder Singh for 1 off 3 balls. Saim from over the wicket bowled a fuller length delivery at the middle and off-stump line as the batter got deep in his crease and tried to clip it away. It was a carrom ball which pitched and turned away squaring up in the crease. The ball hit the pad and then crashed on the off-stump. Hammad Mirza came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Mirza broke the shackles as he hit Afridi for a boundary through point region. Kaleem got into the act as he launched Afridi for the maximum over fine leg and then hit him for a boundary past backward point to the boundary. Ayub then got another as he dismissed Kaleem for 13 off 11 balls with a boundary and a maximum to his name. Ayub bowled slightly short on middle and leg stump as the left-hander went deep into the crease to pull Ayub behind square leg. But the ball kept low after pitching, and turned back in. It thudded him on the back of the front pad and the finger was raised. Mohammad Nadeem came out to bat next.
Abrar Ahmed came onto bowl next as Mirza hit a boundary through a diving point fielder. Mohammad Nawaz came on to bowl the final over of the powerplay. Mirza launched Nawaz over deep square leg for the maximum. At the end of the powerplay, Oman were 40/2. Sufiyan Muqeem came onto bowl after the powerplay. Muqeem got rid of Nadeem for 3 off 7 balls.
Muqeem bowled an absolute half-tracker on the leg stump as Nadeem went deep into the crease and got surprised by that as he went for the pull but took his eyes off the ball. The ball got a top edge to Abrar at short fine leg. Sufyan Mehmood came out to bat next. Nawaz got into the act getting rid of Mehmood for 1 off 5 balls. Nawaz bowled slower through the air and fuller in length outside off-stump. Mehmood tried to slog sweep the left-arm spinner and the ball turned back in as the batter miscued it high in the air and the catch is taken at deep midwicket by Hasan Nawaz. Vinayak Shukla came out to bat next.
Mirza hit Nawaz for a boundary through deep backward square leg. Shukla then got run out by Shaheen Afridi as another one bit the dust. Zikria Islam came in next. Mirza soon fell as Muqeem had another as the batter scored 27 off 23 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. The bowler Muqeem bowled slower through the air as he bowled fuller length ball outside off-stump as the ball turned away from the batter. Mirza put his back knee down as he tried to drag it in the leg side but the ball spun away and took the bottom edge and rushed to the left of the slip fielder. Salman did well to take the catch. Faisal Shah came to the crease next.
Abrar bowled a decent 10th over as Oman went to the Drinks Break at 49/6 in 10 overs. Faheem Ashraf came into the attack post the Drinks Break. He got rid of Islam for a duck. He bowled full and outside the off-stump, Islam cleared his front leg and looked to slog across the line and got an under edge through to the keeper. The appeal was given and the batter reviewed in hope and saw it was OUT as the review was lost by the batting side. Shakeel Ahmed came out to bat next.
Shaheen then came back and removed Faisal Sha for 1 off 3 balls. Afridi from over the wicket a good length delivery angled in towards the leg stump as Faisal deep in his crease tried to stay leg side of the ball, but Afridi followed him with a quick delivery. Faisal tried to defend with an angled bat and was beaten on the inside edge as the ball hit the back pad before deflecting back onto the leg stump. Hassanain Ali Shah came out to bat next.
Faheem got another wicket as Shah fell for 1 off 2 balls. Faheem bowled from over the wicket full and outside the off-stump, Hassnain cleared his front leg looking for a big heave across the line. He lost his shape and the ball got an inside edge back onto the off and middle stump. Samay Shrivastava came out to bat at 11. He managed to get a boundary off Faheem past mid-on for a boundary. Afridi bowled a miserly over and finished his spell.
Abrar came and bowled a tidy over. Oman were 58/9 in 15 overs. Muqeem too bowled another decent over. Shakeel launched Abrar over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Abrar finally got the final wicket of the game dismissing Shakeel for 10 off 23 balls with a maximum to his name. It was in the slot, but the batter went for it and miscued it to Afridi at long-off who made no mistake. Srivastava was unbeaten on 5 off 11 balls with a boundary to his name as Oman were bowled out for 67 in 16.4 overs. 3 extras given by Pakistan tonight.
All the Pakistan bowlers bowled well. Shaheen Afridi finished with 1/20 in 4 overs. Saim Ayub finished with 2/8 in 2 overs. Abrar Ahmed finished with 1/12 in 3.4 overs. Mohammad Nawaz chipped in with 1/13 in 2 overs. Sufiyan Muqeem finished with 2/7 in 3 overs while Faheem Ashraf chipped in with 2/6 in 2 overs. So, Pakistan won the contest by 93 runs and for his excellent innings Mohammad Haris was awarded the Player of the Match.
What Lies Ahead
Time for another Group B clash as the bandwagon moves back to Abu Dhabi for a big clash as Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka at 8 PM IST on 13th September 2025. It’s our first look at Sri Lanka in this Asia Cup 2025 while Bangladesh will come into this game on the back of a win against Hong Kong last night.
Which team will come out on top in the battle of equals? Only time will tell as we are set for a ripper in Abu Dhabi.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Mohammad Haris’ Brilliant 66 Propels Pakistan To 160/7