India defeated Oman by 21 runs in a thrilling Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
In the match played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, India batted first and scored 188 for 8 in 20 overs, with Sanju Samson’s brilliant 56-run innings playing a key role.
Asia Cup 2025: IND vs OMAN Highlights
India did not have a good start. Shubman Gill was dismissed in 1.3 overs for just 5 runs. Abhishek Sharma then accelerated the innings with 38 runs off 15 balls, but he too was dismissed in 7.1 overs.
From here, Sanju Samson took charge. Sanju played a brilliant innings of 56 runs off 45 balls, which included 3 fours and 3 sixes. His strike rate was 124.44. Sanju batted intelligently and kept the innings steady in the middle overs.
When Hardik Pandya (1) and Shivam Dube (5) were dismissed early, Sanju built small partnerships with Axar Patel (26) and Tilak Verma (29) to propel the score forward. His brilliant shots and impeccable timing troubled the Oman bowlers.
Sanju was dismissed by Faisal Shah for 56 in the 17.4 over, but by then India had already scored 171 runs. His innings helped India reach a strong total of 188.
Asia Cup 2025: Oman Innings
Faisal Shah and Jiten Ramanandi took two wickets each for Oman, but their bowling paled in comparison to Sanju’s. In response, Oman scored 167 for 4 in 20 overs.
Aamir Kaleem (64) and Hammad Mirza (51) made good efforts, but India’s bowlers held them back for a 21-run win. Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Kuldeep Yadav each took one wicket.
Sanju Samson’s brilliant innings not only gave India a strong total, but his batting also won the hearts of the fans. With this victory, India has further strengthened its position in the Asia Cup.
