Oman's batting performance was surprising against India on September 19 in an Asia Cup 2025 match, like the batting order of Team India. It was expected that Team India was going to do some experiments against Oman, as they already moved into Super 4s.

Ahead of the match, the question was what kind of experiments the team management planned. The scenario got clearer when batters started to come into the crease—a reshuffle in batting positions. Captain Suryakumar Yadav did not even come to bat, and India won. India defeated Oman by 21 runs, registering 188 runs in the first innings, and remained unbeaten in the group stages. Former India international Krishnamachari Srikkanth shared his view on India's tactics in their final match of the Asia Cup 2025 initial stage. 

There were a lot of controversies regarding India's squad for the tournament. But it is undeniable that there are too many players capable of representing Men in Blue in the T20I format. Enlightening the fact, Srikkanth opined that India has at least 16 quality players who are capable enough to be in the playing XI.

Read More: PBKS interested in Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026? Official post sparks speculations

K Srikkanth remarks about India's win over Oman in Asia Cup 2025 group stage 

He said about Shreyas Iyer, who was in stunning form in ODIs, IPL 2025, and domestic cricket as well, that he was still unable to make an entry in the squad. The former cricketer believes that if all the batters could score big runs, then India could have easily scored well over 200. 

"Suryakumar Yadav didn't even bat; Tilak Varma came down the order, and with seemingly no one scoring much, we made 188 easily. They would have scored 225 or 250 otherwise. India has at least 16 players that can play in the 11. Even someone like Shreyas Iyer isn't able to break through," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

India triumphed over Oman by 21 runs in Abu Dhabi to end the group stage of the Asia Cup 2025 with a win. Though the result was much anticipated, Oman’s fearless spirit against a full-member side earned them widespread admiration.

India batted first, scoring 188 for 8. Abhishek Sharma got the innings underway with a rapid 38 off 15 balls, with five fours and two sixes. The innings progressed to the middle overs with Sanju Samson battling out a measured 56 off 45 balls as well as valuable contributions from Axar Patel (26 off 13) and Tilak Varma (29 off 18). Harshit Rana’s unbeaten 13 ensured India crossed the 180-run mark, even as Oman’s bowlers kept striking back. Shah Faisal (2/23), Jiten Ramanandi (2/33), and Aamir Kaleem (2/31) bowled with discipline to keep India in check.

Chasing 189, Oman showed great intent right from the powerplay. Skipper Jatinder Singh (32) and Aamir Kaleem (64 off 46) added 56 for the first wicket. Kaleem then partnered with Hammad Mirza (51 off 33) for a superb 93-run stand that kept the chase alive. Both batsmen, however, fell quickly towards the death overs and left Oman behind at 167 for 4. Their fighting effort was their second-highest total against a full-member team. For India, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Hardik Pandya each got a wicket.

IND vs OMA: Who Said What?

Sanju Samson (Player of the Match): 

“It was humid and hot out there. Working on my fitness on the last few weeks. We just got a new trainer and did the Bronco test. Good to see I got to spend some time in the middle. They bowled really well. Have to give credit to Oman. Bowled well in the powerplay also, were swinging it upfront. I keep backing my strength to stay positive. Any contribution with the bat for your country, you have to take the positives.”

See Also: [WATCH] Hardik Pandya takes jaw-dropping one-handed catch against Oman in Asia Cup 2025

Suryakumar Yadav (India Captain):

“Definitely I'll try from next game. Overall impressive, I feel, Oman played unbelievable brand of cricket. I knew with their coach, Sulu sir (Sulakshan Kulkarni), there will be khadoosness. It was amazing, really enjoyed watching them bat. It's a little difficult when you're sitting and suddenly you come out and play (talking about Arshdeep and Harshit). It's so humid here. Unfortunate how he got out but you can't keep him away from the game (talking about Hardik Pandya), the way he bowled and the way he got out. All set for Super Fours (when asked about the Sunday clash).”

Jatinder Singh (Oman Captain):

“Extremely proud of the unit, the way they came up and executed the plans. Very proud of how they showed their character in crunch situations. The hype of the tournament was somewhere in the mind. As I've mentioned before, we lack experience and exposure. We have the World Cup Qualifiers in Oman, the boys are ready. I was telling him, that has become your favourite dismissal (talking of Jiten Ramanandi and his run-outs). He is a utility player and a team man. We are grouped with PNG and Samoa. Boys are ready and looking forward to the tournament.”

In Match 12 of the Asia Cup 2025, India achieved another dominant win by 21 runs against Oman at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Batting first, India scored 188/8. Samju Samson was the top scorer with 56 runs, and Abhishek Sharma gave an aggressive start. Oman began their chase in solid fashion, with Aamir Kaleem (64 runs off 46) and Hammad Mirza (51 runs off 33) laying the foundation following a steady powerplay. Oman looked in contention at one time, but India’s bowlers struck at important junctures. The chase eventually finished at 167/4, leaving Oman short of victory. However, they played their best game of the tournament so far. Below are the main reasons for Oman defeat:

1. Imposing Target Set by India

Although India tried out their batting order and Suryakumar Yadav didn't bat, India still managed to make a competitive total of 188 runs. Sanju Samson provided a strong performance with a half-century, while Abhishek Sharma got things going at a good pace. For Oman, it was too much against a leading side.

2. Lack of Acceleration Despite Strong Start

Jatinder Singh and Aamir Kaleem, the openers for Oman, got them off to a solid start to finish 44/0 after the powerplay. Kaleem’s fifty kept them in the contest. But with the asking rate climbing, they failed to push harder in the middle overs.

See Also: [WATCH] Arshdeep Singh registers T20I milestone against Oman during Asia Cup 2025

3. Crucial Wickets at Critical Moments

Aamir Kaleem (64 off 46) and Hammad Mirza (51 off 33) both fell at the wrong times for Oman. After their departures in the deathovers,s it was all pressure on Oman. The bowlers of India took to this and forced a comfortable win.

The way the Oman cricket team batted against India (IND vs OMA), the champion of the T20I World Cup, was unbelievable. As the team India already moved into the Super 4s, they rested their best bowlers for today's (September 19, 2025) match. Still, without Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, the bowling line-up of the Men in Blue was strong on paper. 

In reality, against a lower-ranked team, Oman, bowlers struggled to get breakthroughs. As the innings progressed, Oman batters tried to put pressure on the paddle to increase the run rate. During the crucial moment of the second innings, the match was nicely poised for a thrilling ending, Yadav Kuldeep Yadav conceded back-to-back 6s.

Hammad Mirza hit two consecutive over-boundaries against India's ace spinner. India, after winning the toss, elected to bat first. They registered a strong total of 188 in their 20-over limit, which looked enough to beat down the opponent team. India, as expected, won the match but won with toil.

Read More: [WATCH] IND vs OMA, Asia Cup 2025: Harshit Rana's six over extra cover to finish first innings

Back-to-back two 6s against Kuldeep Yadav 

Oman captain and opener Jatinder Singh scored 32, 43-year-old Aamir Kaleem got 64, and Hammad Mirza snatched 51 runs. India captain Surya Kumar Yadav used 8 different bowlers in the process. Oman had enough wickets in their hand, but their run rate was too slow to chase down the target. 

In the first two balls of the 16th over against Kuldeep Yadav. On the first ball of the over, Mirza went deep in his crease and smacked the ball over the deep mid-wicket fence for a maximum. On the following delivery, Yadav offered a full and around-middle delivery. Mirza was prepared for that. He sweeps it over the deep square-leg fence for another six. 

Watch the 6s here

Hammad Mirza put on a show for Oman 😲 🇴🇲

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— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 19, 2025

In the last game of the group stage in the Asia Cup 2025, where India faced Oman in the Group A encounter at Abu Dhabi on Friday (September 19), the Men in Blues batted strongly to set a challenging target for the opponents. However, while India lost eight wickets, 10 batters batted in the first innings, but the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav didn't come to bat. Here, we are bringing the reason for this surprising stance. 

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to bat first after winning the toss against Oman. India rested two players, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh replaced them for this match. India scored 188/8 in 20 overs, the joint fourth-highest total in the T20 Asia Cup history.

While Sanju Samson became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a half-century in the T20 Asia Cup history by scoring 56 off 45 balls with three fours and three sixes, opener Abhishek Sharma scored 38 off 15 balls with five fours and two sixes. Also, Axar Patel scored 26 off 13 balls (three fours and one six) and Tilak Varma, coming to bat at no.7, scored 29 off 18 balls (one four and two sixes). 

[WATCH] Abhishek Sharma smashes Mohammed Nadeem for 19 runs in IND vs OMAN Asia Cup 2025 contest

Asia Cup 2025, India vs Oman (Group A): Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav didn't bat

However, the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav didn't come to bat in the entire innings. Even the frontline bowlers, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav got the batting opportunities, but the Indian skipper didn't come to bat. There is no need to worry about it, as it was only a decision to allow others to get batting. As India won the first two games of the tournament very comfortably, chasing below-par targets, most of the middle-order batters didn't get any opportunities. 

Indian captain is unbeaten in the Asia Cup 2025

Against the UAE in their tournament opener, India won by nine wickets with 93 balls remaining after successfully chasing the 58-run target. In their next game against arch-rivals Pakistan, India successfully chased the 128-run target, as they won by seven wickets with 25 balls remaining. In those matches, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav came to bat at no.3 and scored 7 not out off 2 balls and 47 not out off 37 balls. While he has already got some opportunities to bat in this tournament, most of the Indian batters haven't gotten enough opportunities. So, the Indian skipper put himself at the no.11 position against Oman, but his batting didn't come.  

First ball, six. Axar Patel welcomed the Oman cricket team with a massive six. He took experienced spinner Aamir Kaleem for an over boundary on the first ball he faced during Match 12 of the ongoing India vs Oman match. 

India quickly revived from the early blow in the form of Shubman Gill, who lost his wicket against a jaffa from Shah Faisal. The early blow from Oman caught everyone on the ground by surprise. But Team India has enough firepower in their batting lineup. As it was expected before, the team management of India reshuffled their batting order for the match against Oman, as it had already turned into dead rubber, as India had already qualified for the Super 4s and Oman had been eliminated from the competition. 

After the departure of Shubman Gill, opener Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson stabilized the innings and opened the passage from where the run started to flow. The wicket looked a little bit challenging, so the batters, who walked into the crease fresh, needed to test and observe the first few balls. Sanson, who got the opportunity to bat for the first time in the tournament, smashed a well-controlled half century. 

Read More: [WATCH] Abhishek Sharma smashes Mohammed Nadeem for 19 runs in IND vs OMAN Asia Cup 2025 contest

Instant reaction from Axar Patel stunned Oman cricket team 

When the foundation was set, with multiple batters yet to come from the bench, Axar Patel did not think twice about going big from the first ball he faced. Aamir Kaleem was one of the main men of Oman's lineup. Patel welcomed him with open arms for a huge six. The Team India all-rounder played an entertaining 26 off 13 with 3 boundaries and one over boundary. 

The only overboundary he hit was massive. The southpaw put down his knees against the left-arm spinner and swung the bat vertically for the six over the long-on area. The crowd in the gallery absolutely loved the instant reaction from Patel. Oman cricketers were stunned. 

Watch the huge 6 here

Swept clean… and sent miles for six! 💥

Watch #INDvOMA LIVE now on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/twDMN56pEJ

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 19, 2025

Shubman Gill was stunned. In the third ball of the second over (IND vs OMA), Oman pacer Shah Faisal clean bowled the vice-captain of India's T20I team. Gill returned to the dugout after making only 5 runs. 

India captain Surya Kumar Yadav won the toss and decided to bat first. The track of the Sheikh Zayed Stadium was looking batting-friendly during the toss, so Yadav decided to bat first. The surface of the stadium is mostly known for its batting-friendly nature. So, a flurry of runs was expected from the Indian batting order. A good batting performance also was expected from Gill, who was in good touch in the recent past. 

When the match started, Oman looked desperate to show their true potential. The early departure of Gill was the sign of their discrepancy. Shah launched an absolute jaffa to dismiss the opener. 

Read More: Devdutt Padikkal scores 150 runs during IND A vs AUS A 1st unofficial Test in Lucknow

A pure class to dismiss Shubman Gill

Gill set himself for a drive through to the offside, but what he got was a ball into the body. Shubman Gill gets halfway forward and tries to drive it straight down the ground. But by then, the ball moved towards him. The bowler presented a great seam position, pitching full and on off and then curving into the batter. 

Gill tried to make a connection with his bat, but the ball found enough passage to sneak past the pad and pad to lash on the stumps—clean bowled against a jaff, Shubman. Gill looked stunned, India down by one man in the initial stage of the first innings of the 12th match of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.

Watch the beautiful delivery here 

Shubman Gill gets a jaffa from Shah Faisal 🤯

Watch #INDvOMAN LIVE now on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/C4cueOwjuC

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 19, 2025

It is the time for the last group stage match in the Asia Cup 2025, as India and Oman are taking on each other for the first time in international cricket. While the qualifications for the Super Fours have been confirmed, and India have almost confirmed finishing on top of the Group A points table, the Men in Blues have rested two players to add two pacers to the squad.

During the toss of the last game of the group stage at Abu Dhabi, while Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to bat first, he confirmed two changes in the playing XI. While he named the right-arm pacer Harshit Rana's inclusion in the playing XI, he missed the name of the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, which was known later. So, Indian right-arm fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy have been rested to open up the two pacers position in the playing XI.

[WATCH] 'Become like Rohit...'- Suryakumar Yadav forgets team changes during IND vs OMAN Asia Cup 2025 contest

Asia Cup 2025, India vs Oman: Why is Jasprit Bumrah not playing?

It was very much expected that Jasprit Bumrah would be rested for the last game of the group stage. Team India management is always looking at Bumrah's workload pressure, as the management doesn't want to put any unnecessary pressure on his body, while Bumrah has to maintain his fitness at a higher level. There is no injury news on Bumrah, which means that it is just a rest for the 31-year-old pacer, and he will be available for their first match in the Super Fours, which will be against Pakistan coming Sunday (September 21).

Asia Cup 2025, India vs Oman: Why is Varun Chakravarthy not playing?

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Varun Chakravarthy has been rested to open up the second pacer's spot in the playing XI. The Abu Dhabi pitch has some lively grass, although the surface is dry. While this is a good pitch for batting, the blowing breeze helps to swing the ball, and there is not much for the spinners. As the Men in Blues want to provide some game times to the pacers, the leg-spinner also has to give up the spot for the match. Both players are likely to return to the playing XI in their first game in the Super Fours in the Asia Cup 2025. 

India already moved into the Super 4s by winning two back-to-back matches. Oman is already knocked out of the tournament. Two teams on different notes make Match 12 (India vs Oman) of the Asia Cup 2025 a dead rubber. As the Oman cricket team has nothing to lose, they can enjoy the moment against the team India can offer their best by swinging the blades. Unlike the pitch of Dubai International Stadium, where spinners get some assistance from the soil, Abu Dhabi's pitch is mostly known for its batting-friendly nature. The team batting first will definitely try to pile up a heap of runs to put pressure on the team batting second.

Toss Update:

The coin landed in favor of team India, and without any hesitation, India captain Surya Kumar Yadav elected to bat first, which was not surprising. They will try to test their batting strength as much as possible as a part of Super 4's preparations. The bowlers of Oman will have to do a lot of tasks to prevent Men in Blue from registering a mammoth total. India made two changes in their playing combination as Harshit Rana came in, and the other name Yadav failed to remember. SKY jokingly said he has become like former captain Rohit Sharma.

"We are looking to bat first. We have not batted first in this competition and we want to know our depth. Having game time is important going into the Super 4s. We want to continue the good habits we are doing in the first two games and want to continue to do that. It is looking nice and our openers will assess it further", Yadav said. 

Read More: Top 3 spells of Rashid Khan in T20Is

"I would have batted first. It is a great experience to take from here. Our team is young, lack exposure but this gives them a good chance to come here and test themselves. It is a great opportunity to share the field with India and get a look at their mindset. We have two changes", Oman captain Jatinder Singh mentioned. 

Playing XIs:

Oman- Jatinder Singh (C), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (WK), Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem, Aryan Bisht, Zikriya Islam, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, and Jiten Ramanandi.

India—Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana (in place of Varun Chakaravarthy), Arshdeep Singh (in place of Jasprit Bumrah), and Kuldeep Yadav.

India (IND) will face Oman (OMA) in Match No. 12 of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, on Friday, September 19. India has already qualified for the Super Four after two comprehensive victories with a nine-wicket win against UAE, and a seven-wicket win against Pakistan. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will be overwhelming favorites and might look to make some changes to the line-up, with Arshdeep Singh replacing Jasprit Bumrah likely being one of them. 

On the other hand, Oman has faced a tough tournament. They suffered a heavy loss to Pakistan by 93 runs in their first match, then lost to UAE by 42 runs, which also eliminated them from the tournament. Captain Jatinder Singh and his team will want to show some pride against one of the leading sides in world cricket.

IND vs OMA: Head to Head

India and Oman have never faced each other in a T20I encounter.

IND vs OMA: Stadium Stats

Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi has historically favored teams that bowl first, with a 58% win when chasing. With average first-inning score of 146 and often affords a competitive balance between bat and ball.

• Matches Played: 50
  
• Win Bat first: 42%
  
• Win Bowl first: 58%
  
• Average 1st Innings Score: 146
  
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 134
  
• Highest Total: 210/2 (AFG vs IND)
  
• Lowest Total: 84/10 (BAN vs RSA)
  
• Highest Chase: 174/2 (SA vs IRE)
  
• Lowest Defended: 129/6 (PAK vs ENG)

IND vs OMA: Predicted Playing XIs

India (IND): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah/Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy

Oman (OMA): Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Shah Faisal, Aryan Bisht, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Jiten Ramanandi, Hassnain Shah, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava

See Also: Azmatullah Omarzai dismisses dangerous Pathum Nissanka during SL vs AFG clash in Asia Cup 2025

Asia Cup 2025: Updated Points Table

After completion of eleven matches, here’s how the points table looks in both groups:

Group A

Group B