India have secured victories against UAE, Pakistan, and Oman in their Asia Cup title defense campaign.
Asia Cup, Group A, Abu Dhabi
India 188-8 (20 overs): Samson 56 (45); Faisal 2-23
Oman 167-4 (20 overs): Kaleem 64 (46); Kuldeep 1-23
India won by 21 runs
India extended their undefeated run in the 2025 Asia Cup, clinching a 21-run victory over Oman in their final group stage encounter.
The defending champions faced Oman, who were already out of contention, for the first time across all formats.
India’s triumph secured the top spot in Group A, paving the way for Pakistan as runners-up, alongside Group B qualifiers Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, to advance to the Super Fours stage.
Oman, having suffered defeats in all three matches, exit the tournament, joining Afghanistan, UAE, and Hong Kong.
India’s batting innings saw Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper, seizing his opportunity at number three to lead the scoring with a well-composed 56 off 45 deliveries, after being unrequired to bat in previous fixtures.
He formed effective partnerships with opener Abhishek Sharma (38 off 15), Axar Patel (26 off 13), and Tilak Varma (29 off 18), contributing to India’s total of 188 for eight. Oman’s left-arm pacer, Faisal Shah, claimed 2-23.
In response, Jatinder Singh was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav in the ninth over for 32 (33), igniting Oman’s innings.
Needing 133 from 69 balls, Aamir Kaleem (64 off 46) and Hammad Mirza (51 off 33) forged a 93-run partnership off 55 balls for the second wicket, setting the stage for a tense finish.
However, Kaleem’s dismissal in the 18th over, caught by Hardik Pandya off Harshit Rana’s bowling, diminished Oman’s chances of a successful chase.
Pandya then removed Mirza, while Arshdeep Singh accounted for Vinayak Shukla, becoming the first Indian bowler to achieve 100 wickets in men’s T20Is.
The Super Four stage commences on Saturday, 20 September, with Sri Lanka facing Bangladesh. India are scheduled to clash with rivals Pakistan on Sunday.
The four teams will engage in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams progressing to the final in Dubai on Sunday, 28 September.
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