India held their nerve to beat Oman by 21 runs in a thrilling Group A encounter of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, and what a match it was. This was cricket on a knife-edge, with drama, sixes, and moments of brilliance keeping the spectators gasping until the final over.
After winning the toss, India chose to bat. Shubman Gill fell cheaply for five to Shah Faisal, a sloppy start that could have set them back. But young Abhishek Sharma came in and took the attack to Oman straight away—38 off just 15 balls, including a classy drive over long-off that set the tone.
Sanju Samson steadied the ship in the middle, playing a polished 56 off 45 balls, threading three fours and three towering sixes. Axar Patel (26 off 13) and Tilak Varma (29 off 18) made useful contributions, while Harshit Rana smashed the final ball over extra cover for six, taking India to 188 for eight. It was a total that demanded respect.
Oman’s reply was full of ambition. Jatinder Singh and Aamir Kaleem set off at a brisk pace, with Kaleem reaching a stylish fifty, and Hammad Mirza in sublime touch, racing to his fifty off just 30 balls, dispatching Kuldeep Yadav and Abhishek Sharma to the fence. Boundaries flowed, and for a moment it looked like Oman might pull off an upset.
But India’s bowlers and fielders were up to the task. Arshdeep Singh’s final over was electric. Jiten Ramanandi hit three consecutive boundaries to keep Oman in the hunt, but wickets fell at key moments. Vinayak Shukla (1) was caught by Rinku Singh, giving Arshdeep his 100th T20I wicket—the first Indian to reach the mark. Hammad Mirza (51) and Aamir Kaleem (64) fell after entertaining fifties, caught by Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya respectively.
Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh shared crucial blows, keeping Oman on the back foot. Ramanandi ran well between the wickets, hit the odd boundary, but it wasn’t enough. With 34 required off the final over, he struck three excellent fours off Arshdeep, but the pressure told in the end. India held firm.
This was a match that had everything: sixes, fifties, milestone wickets, brilliant catches, and a final-over thriller. India’s innings showed flair and depth; Oman’s chase showed courage and audacity.In the end, India’s composure under pressure saw them through to a deserved 21-run victory, and Abu Dhabi witnessed a match that fans will talk something about.(UNI)
