India wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson acknowledged Oman's valiant effort after the Men in Blue narrowly defeated the ICC associate member nation by 21 runs in their final Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Chasing a target of 189, Oman put up a gritty fight, led by Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza, pushing a strong Indian side deeper into the contest than many had expected. Samson, who was awarded Player of the Match for his gritty half-century against the associate nation, lauded the UAE's performance against India.
"It was humid and hot out there. I've been working on my fitness over the last few weeks. We just got a new trainer and did the Bronco test. Good to see I got to spend some time in the middle. They bowled really well. Have to give credit to Oman. Bowled well in the powerplay also, were swinging it upfront. I keep backing my strength to stay positive. Any contribution with the bat for your country, you have to take the positives" said Sanju Samson in the post-match presentation.
Coming back to the match, Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in the Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
India will now face Pakistan in their Super Four clash of the mega event, which will take place on September 21 at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. This will be the second time that Asian Giants will face each other in the tournament. During their last outing, Team India registered a one-sided seven-wicket win against Pakistan.