India Defeats Oman by 21 Runs to Complete Unbeaten Asia Cup Group Stage
Abu Dhabi, UAE – India secured a 21-run victory over Oman in their final Asia Cup group match on friday, finishing the group stage unbeaten. The world champions posted 188-8 before restricting Oman to 167-4 at Abu Dhabi. The win confirms India’s progression to the Super Four stage alongside Pakistan from Group A.
This result, while expected given the rankings, highlights India’s continued dominance in the T20 format as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Oman, ranked 20th in the world, provided a spirited challenge, demonstrating the growing competitiveness of Associate nations in international cricket.
Oman’s chase was anchored by Aamir Kaleem (64) and Hammad Mirza (51),who combined for a 93-run second-wicket partnership. However, crucial strikes from Hardik Pandya, who took a stunning catch to dismiss Kaleem off Harshit Rana, and a subsequent wicket by Pandya himself, halted their momentum. Arshdeep Singh then claimed his 100th T20 International wicket - a first for an Indian bowler – to further stifle Oman’s pursuit.
Earlier, Sanju Samson’s 56 and a quickfire 38 off 14 balls from Abhishek Sharma propelled India to their total. Despite a challenging bowling performance from Oman,with Shah Faisal,Jiten Ramanandi,and Kaleem each taking two wickets,India’s batting depth proved decisive.
India and Pakistan will face each other again in the Super Four on Sunday, following a previous group stage encounter marked by a lack of handshakes between the teams. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will contest the first Super Four match on Saturday, having qualified from Group B.
