India beat Oman to stay unbeaten; Super Four spot sealed

India won by 21 runs against Oman and finished the group stage unbeaten. Batting first for the first time in this Asia Cup, India made 188/8. Oman replied with 167/4, fighting hard with two fifties but falling short in the end. The win sets up India’s Super Four clash with confidence.

India’s batting: quick start, steady middle, late push

Abhishek Sharma gave India a flying start with 38 off 15. He hit cleanly in the powerplay and kept the scoreboard racing. Sanju Samson came in at No. 3 and settled the innings. He reached a fifty off 41 balls and finished with 56 off 45. Tilak Varma’s 29 off 18 and Axar Patel’s 26 off 13 were important cameos that pushed India close to 190. India lost eight wickets, and Suryakumar Yadav, who had listed himself to bat last, did not come in.

Oman’s chase: brave effort, not enough

Oman began well. Aamir Kaleem and Jatinder Singh added 56 for the first wicket. Kuldeep Yadav broke the stand in the ninth over, and the asking rate kept rising. Kaleem then took charge and reached 64. Hammad Mirza batted with intent for 51. Both were set but could not find the late burst needed. Oman ended at 167/4, a solid chase that kept India honest.

India’s bowling: mix and match, job done

India rested Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy. They mixed their options and used eight bowlers to spread the load. Kuldeep’s variations checked Oman in the middle overs. Harshit Rana struck at key moments. In the final over, Arshdeep Singh reached his 100th T20I wicket by dismissing Vinayak Shukla, a special milestone in a tidy finish.

What stood out

• Abhishek’s powerplay hitting set the tone.

• Samson made the most of game time and anchored the innings.

• Kuldeep’s control in the middle overs eased pressure on a rotated attack.

• Oman showed skill and fight with fifties from Kaleem and Mirza, but the chase lacked a final kick.

What this means for India

India got valuable batting time across the order and tested backup bowling options while still winning. The balance is flexible, and the side looks settled going into the Super Four. If conditions in Dubai continue to grip, spin will stay central, with pace used in short, sharp bursts.

Match summary