ASIA CUP 2025
India have never faced Oman in international cricket © ACC
At India’s optional training session on match eve, nine players turned up and one visual stood out: Gautam Gambhir, stationed behind the nets, closely instructing Harshit Rana during an extended batting stint. In the adjacent net, Arshdeep Singh went about his drills with noticeably less guidance from the head coach and had a much shorter hit. Make of that what you will.
With India already qualified and Oman out of contention, and with the game set in Abu Dhabi, a fair distance from India’s base in Dubai, Jasprit Bumrah could well be rested, especially with another Pakistan clash looming in a day’s time. That could open the door for either Harshit Rana or Arshdeep Singh, who is sitting on 99 T20I wickets, to get a look-in.
Otherwise, India kept things light before taking on opponents they’ve never faced in international cricket. Kuldeep Yadav, speaking to the media, insisted little changes for India regardless of opposition. “There are no small teams in T20 cricket, that’s the first thing. It’s a fast game and it is very important to adapt to conditions. But this team is experienced enough to tackle everything. There are a lot of experienced players. It is very important to maintain that. We will try to maintain the intensity in the match. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is.”
For Oman, this is a landmark occasion. It will be their first ever meeting with India in any format, and it will likely come in front of a packed Abu Dhabi crowd. It will be an experience for the history books, even if the stakes aren’t high. Having already endured two heavy defeats, getting off the mark against India is a tall ask from Oman, so perhaps it’s a chance to play a bit more freely and see how far they can push the reigning world champions.
When: Sep 19, 2025, at 06:30 PM LOCAL / 8:00 PM IST
Where: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
What to expect: Haris Rauf, speaking after Pakistan’s match against the UAE, called the conditions in Dubai “not easy” for batting but come Abu Dhabi, there might be a bit more in the pitch for shot-making, with the spinners taking a back seat for a while. The temperatures have come down in the city in the last few days but it’s still forecast to be around 33 degrees when the teams take the field. High humidity, though, is very much around.
Head to Head: Both teams have never played each other
Team news:
India
Injuries/Unavailability: Everyone is fit and available.
Tactics & matchups: Tilak Varma scored 31 against Pakistan but looked a bit stuck against spin, a reflection of the year he’s had. In 2025, he’s hit a boundary against spin every eight balls as compared to one every five balls last year. This year, he’s making his runs against spin at a strike rate of under 59, which could be a worry going into the T20 World Cup. For now, it’s a soft spot that Oman will look to target.
Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Oman:
Injuries/Unavailability: No reported injuries since their match against UAE.
Tactics & matchups: Facing India’s spin is going to be a challenge for the middle-order. Since July 2024, no team has picked more wickets with spin than India. While a good batting pitch will come to Oman’s rescue in Abu Dhabi, going harder against pace upfront might not be such a bad idea.
Probable XI: Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Wasim Ali, Hassnain Shah, Shah Faisal, Aryan Bisht, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, Jiten Ramanandi
Did you know?
Post the last T20 World Cup, only Australia scored with a better run per over than India.
Since July 2024, only Afghanistan’s spinners have conceded runs at a lower economy rate than India.
Who said what:
“If I play in any team, I will play as a bowler. My job is to take wickets. If I don’t take wickets, there will be no space” – Kuldeep Yadav
© Cricbuzz
