Asia Cup: India hold off Oman scare to extend unbeaten run ahead of Pakistan clash
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
India pulled off a thrilling 21-run win over Oman in their final group stage clash of the Asia Cup at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The world champions stayed unbeaten in the tournament, but Oman put up a gutsy fight that had fans on the edge of their seats. Chasing 189, Oman came close but couldn’t quite pull off the upset.
Oman’s chase started strong with captain Jatinder Singh and veteran Aamir Kaleem at the crease. They navigated the powerplay without losing a wicket, building a solid base. But India’s star spinner Kuldeep Yadav struck in the 9th over, dismissing Jatinder for 32 off 33 balls after a tense review. Kaleem and Hammad Mirza then fired up the innings with a massive 93-run partnership—the highest Oman has ever scored against a full-member team and the most India has leaked to an Associate side in T20Is.
Kaleem smashed 64 off 46 balls, keeping Oman’s hopes alive with boundaries galore. Just when things looked promising, he tried to pull Harshit Rana for six, but Hardik Pandya sprinted in for a stunning catch to send him packing. Mirza reached his fifty with a cracking four, but he fell soon after, caught by Rinku Singh off Pandya. In the end, Arshdeep Singh, who became the first Indian to hit 100 T20I wickets, leaked some runs but sealed the deal. Oman finished at 168, falling short by 21 runs.
Earlier, India chose to bat first and faced early jitters. Opener Shubman Gill fell for just 5 to Shah Faisal. But Abhishek Sharma hit back hard, smashing a six and a four off Shakeel Ahmed to steady the ship. India raced to 60/1 in the powerplay—the highest score in Abu Dhabi for this T20 Asia Cup.
Oman hit back with quick wickets. Jiten Ramanandi removed Sharma for a quickfire 38 off 15 balls in the 8th over, and Hardik Pandya got run out in the same over. Axar Patel, promoted up the order, chipped in with 26 before Aamir Kaleem got him in the 12th over. Sanju Samson then took charge, playing sensibly with singles and doubles. He survived a dropped catch in the 14th over and went on to smash a brilliant 56 off 41 balls—his first fifty of the tournament—with three sixes and three fours.
Shivam Dube managed just 5 before Kaleem dismissed him trying for a big shot. Tilak Varma added 29 off 18, but Zikria Islam got him in the 19th over. Oman’s Shah Faisal shone with the ball, taking 2/23 in four overs. India posted 188/7, setting up a tense chase that kept the Asia Cup excitement alive.
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