Samson fifty, Abhishek blitz lift India over Oman

News Desk

Abu Dhabi: India’s batting order finally got some extended time in the middle, and they made it count. Opting to bat first for the first time in this Asia Cup, the Men in Blue posted 188 for 8 against Oman before clinching a 21-run win on Friday night.

It was a contest that underlined both India’s enviable depth and Oman’s growing promise. Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 38 off 15 balls, Sanju Samson answered with a patient half-century, and cameos from Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, and Harshit Rana pushed India close to the 190-mark.

On a surface offering grip and turn, Oman’s bowlers fought hard—44-year-old Aamir Kaleem even dented India with two wickets and then struck a fighting half-century—but Kuldeep Yadav’s variations proved decisive as India kept their perfect record intact.

Abhishek in overdrive

Shubman Gill’s early dismissal to a sharp Shah Faisal inswinger barely slowed India down. Abhishek took charge in the powerplay, smashing 38 of India’s 60 runs in the first six overs.

Be it Shakeel Ahmed’s left-arm spin or Oman’s slower balls into the pitch, the left-hander’s clean hitting had an answer for everything. His dismissal at 38, after a missed chance earlier, gave Oman relief but not before India had wrested early control.

Samson’s stop-start fifty

Playing his first knock of the tournament after two DNBs, Samson took his time to settle. He mixed bursts of aggression—like back-to-back blows off Samay Shrivatsava—with periods of watchfulness. His 56 off 45 balls may not have been fluent, but it anchored India’s middle overs before he holed out in the 18th.

India’s finish, however, was subdued—only 21 runs came off the last three overs, with Harshit Rana’s last-ball six the lone boundary.

Oman show fight, but Kuldeep strikes back

Chasing 189, Oman’s openers Jatinder Singh and Kaleem raised hopes with a 56-run stand, but Kuldeep’s entry tilted momentum back to India. Kaleem’s 64 and Hammad Mirza’s battling half-century gave the crowd plenty to cheer, yet the rising asking rate forced them into consolidation rather than acceleration.

Hardik Pandya’s stunning boundary catch to dismiss Kaleem summed up India’s fielding intensity. Arshdeep Singh, returning to the XI, capped the night by dismissing wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla for his 100th T20I wicket—becoming the first Indian bowler to achieve the landmark.

Takeaways

India’s mix-and-match bowling approach—using eight bowlers in total—showed the luxury of depth even without Jasprit Bumrah and No.1 T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy. For Oman, the maiden Asia Cup ended without a win, but performances from Kaleem and Mirza will boost confidence ahead of their T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier at home next month.

India, meanwhile, leave Abu Dhabi with questions answered: their batting unit tested, their bench strength proven, and their dominance intact.