Muhammad Waseem-led UAE bounced back in style against Oman in their second group stage match of the Asia Cup 2025, defeating them by 42 runs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi .
Batting first, UAE rode on quick-fire half-centuries from skipper Muhammad Waseem and his opening partner Alishan Sharafu to post a mammoth total of 172 for five. Waseem anchored the innings with a composed 69 off 54 balls, holding firm till the final over, while Sharafu, after a slow start, found his rhythm and smashed a brisk 51 off just 38 deliveries.
The pair gave the UAE a strong start, adding 83 runs for the opening wicket in the first 10 overs. Sharafu played some aggressive strokes, hitting three consecutive boundaries off medium pacer Hassnain Shah and finding gaps regularly through the off-side. Waseem, on the other hand, displayed his trademark power-hitting, taking 14 runs off veteran spinner Aamir Kaleem in one over.
Despite a few missed chances in the field, Oman managed to slow things down midway through the innings, thanks largely to left-arm seamer Jiten Ramanandi. He returned with impressive figures of 2 for 24 in his four overs, including the crucial wicket of Sharafu, who was bowled while trying to make room for a shot through the off-side.
In response, Oman faltered early in their chase, losing Aamir Kaleem in the first over and never really recovering from the early blows. UAE's pace attack came out firing, reducing Oman to 50 for 5 within 7 overs. Only Aryan Bisht showed some resistance, top-scoring with 24 runs, but the rest of the batting line-up collapsed under pressure.
Pacer Junaid Siddique was the star with the ball, finishing with excellent figures of 4 for 23 in four overs. He was well supported by Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah, who took two wickets each, while Muhammad Rohid Khan chipped in with one. Oman were eventually bowled out for 130 in 18.3 overs.
Both teams faced each other after losing their opening clashes of the tournament against Pakistan and India, respectively. This clash was do-or-die for both sides to keep their Super Four hopes alive, and as the UAE defeated Oman, the side are still in the race to seal their berth for the Super Four