Asia Cup 2025: 5 Key Talking Points from India’s 21-Run Win Over Oman in Abu Dhabi

Team India continued their dominant run at the Asia Cup 2025, defeating Oman by 21 runs to complete the group stage unbeaten and secure a smooth passage into the Super 4 phase of the tournament.

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Team India pulled off 21-run win over Oman

Team India concluded the group stage of the Asia Cup 2025 with a thrilling 21-run win over Oman at the Sheik Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday, September 19. The Men in Blue have moved on to the Super 4 round without a single defeat in the group stage of the tournament.

After posting a total of 188/8, thanks to Sanju Samson’s fifty and vital contributions from Abhishek Sharma (38), Tilak Varma (29), and Axar Patel (26), Team India managed to defend it despite strong batting performances from Aamir Kaleem (64) and Hammad Mirza (51) as they restricted Oman to 167/4. Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Kuldeep Yadav picked a wicket each for the defending champions.

On that note, let’s take a look at key talking points from the Men in Blue’s victory over Oman in the final group stage clash.

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1. Abhishek Sharma unleashes carnage again

Abhishek Sharma has continued to carry on with his duty of unleashing his carnage at the top and setting the tone for India’s innings. Sharma just picked up where he left off in the last outing against Pakistan. After the early fall of Shubman Gill’s wicket, the left-handed opener led the Men in Blue’s batting charge and played a brilliant innings of 38 off 15 balls at an impressive strike rate of 253.33.

His knock included 5 fours and 2 sixes. In the last three matches, Abhishek consistently scored 30+ scores as an opener and is currently India’s leading run-getter in the Asia Cup 2025, amassing 99 runs at an average of 33 and an extraordinary strike rate of 225.00 in three matches.

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2. Sanju Samson’s fifty after being promoted up the order

After not getting a chance to bat in the first two matches against the UAE and Pakistan, Sanju Samson finally got an opportunity to wield his willow after he was promoted up the batting order. Samson moved to the No.3 spot from No.5 and played a brilliant yet crucial knock of 56 off 45 balls, including 3 fours and as many sixes, at a strike rate of 124.44.

Samson had a crucial 45-run stand for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel, and then formed a 41-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Tilak Varma. Those partnerships stabilized India’s innings, ensuring they reached a competitive total of 188/8 despite early setbacks. Sanju Samson was adjudged Player of the Match for his performance.

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3. Suryakumar Yadav stayed off the crease

One of the biggest talking points from India’s thrilling victory over Oman was Suryakumar Yadav staying off the crease throughout India’s batting. Despite the eighth wicket falling, India's T20I skipper was not seen walking out to bat. In the first two matches against the UAE and Pakistan, Suryakumar batted at No. 3, but against Oman, he himself was demoted to No. 11 in the batting order.

Suryakumar Yadav’s strange decision to stay back in the dugout left the fans and experts wondering. Fans were quite bewildered by the skipper’s decision to stay off the crease, while others believed it was disrespectful to Oman by not taking the opportunity to face the bowlers and contribute to the chase in a completed innings.

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4. Lackluster performance by Indian bowlers

Team India’s bowling performance was below par as they failed to contain the flow of runs in the powerplay and middle overs. The Indian bowling attack failed to replicate their previous performances against the UAE and Pakistan. The bowling line-up saw two changes, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy replaced by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, respectively.

Omani batters, Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza, were posing a serious threat to India’s bowling attack as their 93-run partnership for the second wicket kept Oman firmly in the chase and exposed India’s lack of penetration in the middle overs. Kaleem and Mirza’s dismissals by Harshit Rana and Hardik Pandya, respectively, shifted the momentum back in India’s favour.

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5. Arshdeep Singh completes 100 T20I wickets

Team India pacer Arshdeep Singh scripted history by becoming the first Indian male bowler to complete 100 wickets in the history of T20Is. He achieved this feat when he was brought into the attack in the final over of Oman’s run chase and dismissed Vinayak Shukla on the first delivery of the final over to complete the milestone.

Arshdeep Singh became the fastest pacer and overall, quickest after Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga to reach the 100-wicket mark in T20I cricket, cementing his place among the elite bowlers in the format.