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Oman’s Asia Cup debut: A team ready to compete with heart

Sports Tuesday 09/September/2025 10:44 AM
By: Times News Service
Oman’s Asia Cup debut: A team ready to compete with heart

MUSCAT: As the Asia Cup 2025 kicks off in the UAE from Tuesday, all eyes are on the debutants — Oman. For this team, the tournament represents more than just participation; it is the culmination of years of dedication, passion, and growth.

Ahead of the tournament, captain Jatinder Singh sums up the squad’s mindset: "Being in Group A is a massive challenge but also a blessing. Playing against India and Pakistan is never easy, but it’s the kind of challenge that makes you grow as a cricketer."

Facing cricketing powerhouses like India and Pakistan is indeed daunting, yet Oman views it as an invaluable opportunity to learn, adapt, and showcase their skills on a global stage.

 

Pathway to the Asia Cup

Oman qualified for their first Asia Cup through the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in April last year. The team topped their group with four wins out of four, finishing ahead of UAE, and defeated Hong Kong by five wickets in the semi-finals. UAE got their revenge in the final, but both teams, along with Hong Kong, had already secured their spots at the Asia Cup.

Since then, Oman showed glimpses of promise despite mixed results — the team has gained invaluable international experience. They hosted the Netherlands for a T20I series in November, losing 2-1, and played in the Gulf T20I Championship in December, recording wins over Bahrain and Qatar but narrowly missing out on the final. Most recently, they hosted the USA in February, suffering a 3-0 defeat.

Oman’s Asia Cup squad combines emerging talent with experienced heads. Four members of the squad are uncapped, reflecting the team’s depth and potential. Much of the batting responsibility will rest on Jatinder, who brings 125 international caps and 3,103 runs across formats. Among the bowlers, left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed, who debuted in T20Is in September 2023, has become a vital figure with his accuracy and controlled economy of 6.67.

The 20-year-old Aryan Bisht is another promising talent — a middle-order batter who bowls handy off-spin. While yet to make his T20I debut, he impressed at junior level, finishing as the second-highest run-getter in the Under-19 World Cup Qualifier Asia Division Two in 2022 while also taking seven wickets in five games.

Guiding the squad are coach Duleep Mendis of Sri Lanka and recently-appointed deputy head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni of India, whose experience and insights have been pivotal in preparing the team for the challenges of Asia Cup cricket.

Oman have been drawn in Group A, alongside India, Pakistan, and the UAE. Their campaign opens on September 12 against Pakistan in Dubai, followed by matches against the UAE on September 15 and India on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

'Play fearless cricket'

"We want to play fearless cricket and make Oman proud," says Jatinder. "We may be debutants, but we’re here to compete with heart, not just participate."

With determination, youthful energy, and experienced leadership both on the field and from the coaching staff, Oman enter their maiden Asia Cup with the ambition to make a mark and show that they can compete with the best.

Meanwhile, in a late development, Oman have made two changes in the squad with Wasim Ali and Jitenkumar Ramanandi called up to replace Karan Sonavale (injury) and Muhammed Imran (logisti issues).

Revised Oman squad: Jatinder Singh (capt), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla, Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedara, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammed Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Wasim Ali, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Shah, Faisal Shah, Jitenkumar Ramanandi, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava.