Monday 25 / November / 2024
MUSCAT: Syed Haider’s unbeaten 44 off 28 balls led the UAE to a thrilling four-wicket victory over hosts Oman in their opening Group B match of the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup at the Oman Cricket Academy ground on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 151, UAE struggled early on, losing wickets at regular intervals. However, Haider’s composed knock, supported by contributions from Tanish Suri (33), skipper Basil Hameed (19), and a late cameo by Nilansh Keswani (19), propelled them to a win with five balls to spare. The Omani bowlers, who performed admirably in the first half of the innings, faltered in the final three overs, leaking 33 runs and handing the game to UAE.
Aamir Kaleem and Mehran Khan were Oman’s standout bowlers, claiming two wickets each, but it wasn’t enough to contain the late assault from Haider and Keswani.
Oman set a competitive total
Earlier, Oman’s innings was anchored by a captain’s knock from Jatinder Singh, who was appointed skipper in place of Aqib Ilyas. Jatinder smashed 54 off 40 balls, including seven boundaries and one towering six, helping Oman reach a total of 150/8 in their 20 overs. He was well supported by Aamir Kaleem, who returned to the squad with a brisk 32 off 25 balls, as the duo shared an 86-run opening stand in 10 overs.
However, a middle-order collapse saw Oman lose momentum. Only Mohammad Nadeem (20) and Karan Sonavale (15) managed double-digit scores after the openers departed. UAE bowlers Muhammad Jawadullah and Muhammad Farooq were instrumental in Oman’s slide, both picking up three wickets each with identical figures of 3/21.
Oman’s early success and UAE’s fightback
In reply, UAE’s chase got off to a shaky start, losing opener Mayank Kumar in the third over with the score at 18. Tanish Suri (33) and Vishnu Sukumaran (15) steadied the ship, but the pressure from Oman’s bowlers, especially Aamir Kaleem and Mehran Khan, saw UAE slump to 66/4 in the 10th over. Mehran delivered a crucial blow by dismissing Basil Hameed, leaving UAE at 110/5 in the 15th over.
But Haider’s cool-headed innings, combined with Keswani’s 19-run contribution, shifted the momentum back to UAE. Their aggressive stroke play in the final overs sealed a hard-fought victory.
Changes in Oman’s squad
Oman’s squad for this match saw several changes, with Jatinder Singh leading the side in place of Aqib Ilyas.
The team also brought in Aamir Kaleem, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Mohammad Nadeem, Jay Odedera, Mehran Khan, Samay Shrivastav, Sandeep Goud, and Aryan Bisht. Sonavale and Muzahir Raza made their T20I debuts.
Besides Ilyas, Zeeshan Maqsood, Pratik Athavale, Khalid Kail, Kaleemullah, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Kashyap Prajapati, and Rafiullah were rested.
Brief scores: Oman: 150/8 in 20 overs (Jatinder Singh 54, Aamir Kaleem 32, Mohammad Nadeem 20; Muhammad Jawadullah 3/21, Muhammad Farooq 3/21)
UAE: 151/6 in 19.1 overs (Syed Haider 44*, Tanish Suri 33, Basil Hameed 19, Nilansh Keswani 19; Aamir Kaleem 2/18, Mehran Khan 2/29).
