Key Points
- Sanju Samson anchored India’s innings with a crucial 56, while Abhishek Sharma blazed 38 off 15 balls for a fiery start
- Oman’s bowlers, led by Shah Faisal and Aamir Kaleem, struck regularly but leaked runs at key moments
- India ends the group stage on a high, aiming to carry momentum into the Super Four round
ABU DHABI: India set a competitive target of 189 in final Group match against Oman in Asia Cup 2025, after electing to bat first at the Abu Dhabi International Stadium on Friday.
The innings was marked by aggressive strokeplay, rapid momentum shifts, and a few hiccups in the middle overs. Leading the charge was Sanju Samson, who anchored the innings with a well-constructed 56 off 45 balls, including 3 fours and 3 sixes. Abhishek Sharma gave India a blistering start, smashing 38 off just 15 balls at a strike rate of 253.33, before falling to Jiten Ramanandi in the 8th over.
India lost Shubman Gill early for 5, while Hardik Pandya was run out for just 1, continuing his lean patch with the bat. However, a quickfire 26 off 13 from Axar Patel and a late burst from Tilak Varma (29 off 18) and Harshit Rana (13 off 8)* helped India push the total close to the 190-mark.
Oman’s bowlers had their moments. Shah Faisal was the pick of the attack, returning with impressive figures of 4-1-23-2, removing both Gill and Samson. Aamir Kaleem (3-0-31-2) and Jiten Ramanandi (4-0-33-2) also chipped in with key wickets. However, irregular spells from Shakeel Ahmed and Mohammad Nadeem, who conceded 33 and 19 runs in their respective overs, allowed India to keep the run rate high.
India’s innings included 10 wides, highlighting Oman’s struggle with discipline under pressure. Despite this, Oman managed to take wickets at regular intervals to prevent India from breaching the 200-run barrier.
As things stand at the innings break, India holds a 71% win probability, but Oman, playing for pride, will need a strong and composed chase to upset the tournament’s dominant side.
The match holds no bearing on the Super Four qualification, as India and Pakistan have already advanced from Group A. However, for India, the objective remains clear: stay unbeaten and carry momentum into the next stage.
Oman’s chase of 189 under lights in Abu Dhabi: can they pull off an upset, or will India’s spin trio shut the door again?
