India defeat valiant Oman by 21 runs to remain unbeaten

A gritty half-century from Sanju Samson (56 off 45) and a historic milestone for Arshdeep Singh, who became the first Indian men’s cricketer to claim 100 T20I wickets, headlined India’s 21-run victory over Oman at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Friday, keeping their unbeaten run intact in the men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025.

After posting 188/8 — their third-highest total against an Associate nation in T20Is — India faced a stiff challenge as Oman fought hard with the bat.

Skipper Jatinder Singh (32 off 33) and Aamir Kaleem gave them a solid start, adding 44 runs in the Power-play and taking the score to 56 before Kuldeep Yadav broke the stand in the ninth over.

Kaleem then stitched together a 93-run stand with Hammad Mirza, frustrating the Indian attack. Kaleem brought up his fifty off 38 balls and eventually fell for 64 off 46 in the 18th over while trying to accelerate the scoring.

Mirza too played a counterattacking hand, bringing up his fifty in just 30 balls before perishing to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over. Despite a flurry of boundaries from Jiten Ramanandi in the final over, Oman closed short at 167/4, handing India a 21-run win.

India’s bowlers had to work hard on a flat deck, with Hardik finishing on 1-26, Kuldeep picking 1-23 in his three overs, and Harshit Rana returning 1-25 with good pace. The defining moment came in the final over when Arshdeep Singh, entrusted with closing out the game, not only sealed victory but also claimed his 100th T20I wicket — moving clear at the top of India’s all-time wicket-takers’ list.

Earlier, Samson anchored India’s innings after an explosive start by Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 38 off just 15 balls in the Power-play. India had been jolted early when vice-captain Shubman Gill was bowled by Faisal Shah for 5 in the second over, but Abhishek’s fireworks kept the momentum going until Ramanandi provided the breakthrough. A surprise promotion for Hardik Pandya ended in heartbreak as he was run out for just one after a straight drive from Samson deflected off Ramanandi’s fingertips.

Samson found support from Axar Patel, who counterattacked with a rapid 26 off 13, the pair adding 45 runs off 23 deliveries. But wickets fell quickly thereafter, with Shivam Dube gone for 5 and India reduced to 130/5 in the 14th over. Tilak Varma, unusually pushed down to number seven, contributed a valuable 29 off 18 as Samson steadied the innings.

Battling the heat, Samson brought up his half-century in 41 balls — the third slowest by an Indian in Men’s Asia Cup T20 history — before falling for 56. Harshit Rana then provided a late flourish, ending the innings with a towering maximum as India closed at 188/8.

For Oman, the spin trio stood tall. Faisal Shah (2-23), Jiten Ramanandi (2-33), and Aamir Kaleem (2-31) shared six wickets between them, keeping India from crossing the 200-run mark. Despite their spirited chase, Oman fell short, while India took home both victory and a record-breaking night for Arshdeep Singh.

Wellalage rejoins Lanka squad: Meanwhile, bereaved Sri Lankan cricketer Dunith Wellalage returned to the UAE on Friday after paying his last respects to his late father, Suranga Wellalage, who died of a heart attack on Thursday.

“Dunith Wellalage, returned home to pay his last respects to his late father, will rejoin the team on Saturday,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement on Friday.

The 22-year-old all-rounder had played his first match of the Asia Cup against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi when his father passed away.

He was only informed of the tragedy after the conclusion of the game, with head coach Sanath Jayasuriya and team manager breaking the news.

Wellalage immediately flew back home but is set to rejoin the squad ahead of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup Super Four opener against Bangladesh in Dubai on Saturday, where he will be available for selection.

Jayasuriya expressed his grief on social media, posting an emotional tribute to the late Suranga Wellalage. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Mr Suranga Wellalage, a father, a cricketer, and a man who raised a son the entire nation is proud of. Dunith, your father was a cricketer himself, and he can be truly proud of the son he raised. His values, his love for the game, and his spirit live on through you,” he wrote on Facebook.

Indo-Asian News Service