Even supplicant pleas of “We would like Surya,” from a frenzied part of the Indian followers fell on deaf ears as Kuldeep Yadav walked in on the fall of the eighth wicket, with Suryakumar Yadav cooling his heels within the dugout.
This Indian T20I set-up doesn’t consider in filling their boots, and the mindset mirrored the skipper’s choice to make use of a dead-rubber towards Oman right here on the Zayed Cricket Stadium within the ultimate group stage match of the Asia Cup on Friday as a high-intensity apply session forward of a high-voltage conflict towards Pakistan on Sunday.
Oman, although, didn’t let India off the hook with out giving it a mighty scare. After a 56-run first-wicket partnership between captain Jatinder Singh and Aamir Kaleem, Oman turned the screws within the fifteenth over, with Kaleem reaching his 38-ball fifty with a cracking six over broad long-on off Shivam Dube.
Hammad Mirza turned up the warmth from the opposite finish with successive sixes off India’s spin wizard Kuldeep Yadav. With Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana trying rusty with the ball, Kaleem and Mirza picked 4 extra boundaries within the subsequent two overs to deliver the equation right down to 40 wanted off 16 balls.
The in any other case carefree however athletic Hardik Pandya needed to stretch each nerve and sinew to pouch a catch at fine-leg whereas tip-toeing contained in the boundary rope to see the again of Kaleem. Hardik delivered as a bowler within the subsequent over, eradicating Mirza, earlier than Arshdeep celebrated his much-awaited a centesimal T20I scalp with the wicket of Vinayak Shukla.
With 34 runs wanted off the final over, Oman ultimately fell quick by 21 runs.
RELATED | IND VS OMA SCORECARD
Earlier, there was irony in retailer for India, which misplaced Hardik and Arshdeep to unlucky run-outs on the non-striker’s finish whereas attempting to maximise recreation time for its batters. The highest-scorer, Sanju Samson, wasn’t at his fluent greatest throughout his scratchy 45-ball 56, and Shubman Gill was undone by an in-swinger from left-arm fast Shah Faisal that lit up the bails.
Starved of any crease time within the first two video games, Samson, dropped on 44, reached his half-century with an outdoor edge that trickled to the third-man boundary. A crowd favorite on this a part of the world, the Kerala batter half-raised his bat to acknowledge his followers however saved his head down, his body betraying disappointment and exhaustion.
Oman’s Aamir Kaleem scored a 38-ball fifty to maintain Oman’s push for an upset win towards India.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP
Oman’s Aamir Kaleem scored a 38-ball fifty to maintain Oman’s push for an upset win towards India.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP
However Samson had his moments on a floor that assisted the bowlers. He appeared all at sea within the PowerPlay, with Faisal making the ball transfer into him prodigiously, however discovered his bearings with a six over midwicket when the left-arm fast strayed too straight and full.
Abhishek Sharma didn’t take lengthy to seek out his stride, smashing Shakeel Ahmed’s left-arm spin for 2 fours and a six within the third over. His placement and energy down the bottom have been on show when he first cleared broad long-on after which deposited the ball straighter within the ‘V’ to beat the fielder.
AS IT HAPPENED | IND VS OMA HIGHLIGHTS
Towards medium-pacer Mohammad Nadeem, Abhishek showcased his vary on the off-side, languidly carving the ball over level after which slashing one broad exterior off. When Abhishek pumped the ball over long-off to finish the PowerPlay, India had 60 on the board, with Samson on 13 off 14 balls.
It generally seems as if Abhishek collects the ‘invincibility star’ when he begins his innings, blazing by way of obstacles with impunity that final solely until the PowerPlay, like within the iconic Tremendous Mario Bros recreation. It was an analogous story towards Oman, when he was caught behind, slashing broad exterior off within the eighth over to stroll again for an impactful 15-ball 38.
Samson continued his stodgy innings, generally mistiming and generally shedding form, however held one find yourself even because the others swung their arms and left. Axar Patel struck a breezy cameo, and Tilak Varma scrapped and scuffled to an 18-ball 29 after scuffing just a few sweeps and reverse-sweeps.
An innings that lacked sustained rhythm and momentum was punctuated by a six off Harshit Rana’s willow, however India already had sufficient on the board by then.
Revealed on Sep 20, 2025