Sanju Samson (L) and Tilak Varma during the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Oman at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on September 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
When India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bat against Oman in a Group-A fixture of the Asia Cup on Friday (September 19, 2025), a ripple of excitement reverberated around the Zayed Cricket Stadium. After India restricted the opposition to meagre totals on the way to comfortable wins in the first two games, the expectation among the spectators in blue was for Suryakumar’s men to now flex their firepower with the willow and notch up another big victory.
India won by 21 runs to maintain its perfect record going into the Super Four stage, but it wasn’t without anxious moments as the men from the Middle East showed ample resistance in the final game of the preliminary phase.
Impressive reply
Chasing 189, Oman’s Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza impressed with their application. While the 43-year-old Kaleem hit a 46-ball 64, Mirza’s brisk 51 took 33 deliveries.
An opening stand of 56 between Kaleem and Jatinder Singh came at a steady pace, but it was with Mirza’s arrival that Oman’s pursuit gathered some momentum.
The duo put together 93 runs for the second wicket.
Looking ahead, India will hope Axar Patel’s injury is not serious. In the 15th over of the chase, the all-rounder was back-pedalling from mid-off in an attempt to catch Mirza when he hit the ground and hurt his head. He didn’t return to the field thereafter.
The changes
That India was in the mood for experimentation in this dead rubber was evident from the outset. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy were rested in order to give game time to Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Suryakumar chose to go unused at No. 11 in India’s total of 188 for eight.
For the eight-time continental champion, Sanju Samson top-scored at No. 3 with 56, but he would readily admit this wasn’t one of his more fluent efforts. He didn’t manage to hit top gear at any stage of his knock.
After Shubman Gill’s early dismissal, Abhishek Sharma (38, 15b, 5×4, 2×6) stamped his presence on proceedings.
With Oman daring to give left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed a second over in the PowerPlay with the southpaw on strike, the 25-year-old from Punjab took toll with two fours and a six.
If Samson was rusty at the other end after not batting in India’s first two fixtures, it showed. His first 11 deliveries yielded just nine runs despite a wristy flick for six to an overpitched ball from Shah Faisal. Abhishek persisted with his onslaught, punishing Mohammad Nadeem’s medium-pace for 19 runs in the fifth over.
Double blow
A hiccup in the eighth over saw India lose Abhishek and Hardik Pandya in the space of three balls. While Abhishek chased a very wide ball from Jiten Ramanandi only to nick it to the wicketkeeper, Hardik, promoted to No. 4, was run out when Samson’s shot flicked the bowler’s hand on the way and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
Samson and Axar got India back on track with a 45-run alliance off 23 deliveries. The latter raced to 26 before inside-edging Kaleem to Vinayak Shukla behind the wicket.
Tilak Varma, held back till the fall of the fifth wicket, chipped in with an 18-ball 29.
Published – September 19, 2025 07:59 pm IST
