Asia Cup 2025: India hold nerves to down spirited Oman in final group match

ABU DHABI: India vs Oman produced a thrilling contest in the final group stage fixture of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, with India holding their nerve to secure a 21-run win at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Chasing 188, Oman put up a spirited fight but could only reach 167-4 in their 20 overs. The India vs Oman clash saw Oman’s openers lay a solid foundation with 56 runs, before Jatinder Singh fell for 32 off 33 balls, laced with five boundaries.

Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza then stitched together a commanding 93-run stand that kept India under pressure during the middle overs. Kaleem top-scored with a superb 64 off 46 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, while Mirza struck a brisk 51 off 33 deliveries with the same boundary count.

However, both wickets fell in quick succession, halting Oman’s momentum and ending their hopes of a famous win in this India vs Oman encounter.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya shared the spoils with a wicket each, ensuring their side closed out a hard-fought victory.

Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s blistering half-century powered India to a commanding 188/8 in their 20 overs at Zayed Cricket Stadium.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to bat first worked well as his team recovered strongly after a shaky start. Vice-captain Shubman Gill fell early for just five, cleaned up by Shah Faisal in the second over with only six runs on the board.

Samson, promoted up the order, then combined with opener Abhishek Sharma to steady the innings. The pair added a rapid 66 runs for the second wicket before Sharma’s dismissal in the eighth over. Sharma hammered five boundaries and two sixes in a 15-ball 38.

India faced another setback in the same over when Hardik Pandya was run out for just one after Jiten Ramanandi deflected the ball onto the stumps during his follow-through.

Samson kept India afloat with Axar Patel, putting up a 45-run stand for the fourth wicket. Patel contributed 26 off 13 balls before falling to Aamir Kaleem in the 12th over. Kaleem struck again soon after, removing Shivam Dube (five), leaving India at 130/5 in 13.2 overs.

Despite the setbacks, Samson maintained momentum with Tilak Varma, adding 41 runs for the sixth wicket. Samson top-scored with 56 off 45 balls, hitting three sixes and three fours. Varma played a valuable cameo of 29 off 18 deliveries, laced with two sixes and a four, before both fell in successive overs.

In the final overs, lower-order batter Harshit Rana chipped in with an unbeaten 13 from eight balls to push India close to 190.

For Oman, Shah Faisal, Aamir Kaleem, and Jiten Ramanandi each claimed two wickets, keeping India’s batters in check at regular intervals.

With India setting a strong target, the India vs Oman contest promises a gripping chase as Oman now faces the uphill task of scoring 189 for victory in this crucial Asia Cup 2025 group-stage match.

India vs Oman Playing XIs

India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

Oman XI: Jatinder Singh (capt), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem, Aryan Bisht, Zikria Islam, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, Jiten Ramanandi

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