India maintained their unbeaten run in the Asia Cup, defeating Oman by 21 runs in Abu Dhabi to secure a spot in the Super Four. Batting first for the first time in the tournament, India posted 188 for 8, with contributions across the order, before restricting Oman to 167 for 4. Despite a spirited fight from Oman’s batters, India’s depth and scoreboard pressure proved decisive.
Abhishek Sharma set the tone in the powerplay, blasting 38 off just 15 balls. He dominated Oman’s bowlers with clean hitting, striking boundaries against both spin and pace. Although he survived a dropped catch at 21, Abhishek couldn’t extend his stay, edging behind for 38. His aggressive start ensured India reached 60 in the first six overs. Earlier, Shah Faisal had dismissed Shubman Gill cheaply with a sharp inswinger, giving Oman early hope.
Sanju Samson, batting at No.3 after two games without batting, played a stop-start innings. He struggled for fluency at the start but regained rhythm with a six and four off Samay Shrivatsava. A straight six against Zikria Islam boosted his scoring, and he eventually reached a 41-ball half-century. Samson departed for 56 while trying to accelerate in the 18th over. Cameos from Tilak Varma (29 off 18), Axar Patel (26 off 13), and Harshit Rana (13* off 8) pushed India close to 190, though the side managed only one boundary in the last three overs.
With Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy rested, India used eight bowlers, experimenting under the cushion of a big score. Kuldeep Yadav impressed once again, breaking the 56-run opening stand between Aamir Kaleem and Jatinder Singh. Kaleem later combined with Hammad Mirza to keep Oman in the chase, both notching half-centuries. Kaleem’s 64 included a burst against Shivam Dube, but his innings ended when Hardik Pandya pulled off a sharp catch on the boundary. Mirza’s 51 was another positive for Oman, underlining their batting potential ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup regional qualifier.
India closed the game through Arshdeep Singh, who claimed his 100th T20I wicket by dismissing Oman keeper Vinayak Shukla in the final over. Arshdeep became the first Indian to reach the milestone, earning applause from Bumrah and Chakravarthy on the sidelines. Oman bowed out of their debut Asia Cup without a win, but their fight against India highlighted their growing promise.
