Asia Cup 2025: India prevail against Oman by 21 runs in a hard-fought battle that exposed key weaknesses in Suryakumar Yadav-led line-up

India defeated Oman by 21 runs in a match that turned out to be a much closer contest than expected to end their Group proceedings in the Asia Cup 2025 clash at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Despite the defeat, Oman earned respect with their fight, particularly with the bat, pushing a near full-strength Indian side till the very end.

After opting to bat first, India managed to score 188 for 8 in their 20 overs. The innings was set up by young Abhishek Sharma, who provided the early fireworks with a 15-ball 38, smashing boundaries at will after the early departure of Shubman Gill (5). His aggressive approach helped India gather momentum in the Powerplay.

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Sanju Samson played a more measured knock, anchoring the innings with a 45-ball 56. His half-century includes three boundaries and three sixes, which came at a crucial time as wickets kept falling at regular intervals. He stitched a valuable 66-run stand with Abhishek for the second wicket. Brief cameos from Axar Patel (26) and Tilak Varma (29) pushed India close to the 190-mark.

For Oman, left-arm spinner Aamir Kaleem (2/31), left-arm pacer Shah Faisal (2/23), and Jiten Ramanandi (2/33) bowled with discipline, picking up key wickets to ensure India didn’t run away with the game.

Chasing 189, Oman lost an early wicket but never really looked out of the contest. Veteran all-rounder Aamir Kaleem led the charge with a gritty 64 off 46 balls, combining well with skipper Jatinder Singh (32 off 33) in a 56-run partnership. The real scare for India came when Kaleem and Hammad Mirza (51 off 33 balls) added 93 runs, raising hopes of an upset.

However, the required run rate kept climbing, and India’s bowlers held their nerve in the final overs. Arshdeep Singh, who was brought back into the playing XI, becomes the first Indian bowler to reach 100 wickets in men’s T20 Internationals by achieving the milestone, dismissing Vinayak Shukla in the last over.

Brief scores: India 188/8 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 38, Sanju Samson 56, Axar Patel 26, Tilak Varma 29; Aamir Kaleem 2/31, Shah Faisal 2/23, Jiten Ramanandi 2/33).

Oman: 167/4 in 20 overs (Aamir Kaleem 64, Hammad Mirza 51).