Asia Cup 2025: Kaleem’s brave knock in vain as India beat Oman by 21 runs

New Delhi: India held off a spirited challenge from Oman to claim a 21-run win in their final Group A clash of the Asia Cup 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Veteran Aamir Kaleem’s record-breaking half-century and Hammad Mirza’s stroke-filled fifty gave Oman genuine hope but India’s bowlers did just enough to secure victory.

Men in Blue posted 188/8 on the board. The innings wobbled early when Shubman Gill departed cheaply but Abhishek Sharma (38) and Sanju Samson steadied the ship with a 66-run stand. Samson, who was playing his first game of the tournament, turned out to be the top-scorer with 56 from 46 deliveries, keeping India afloat after a mid-innings stutter.

Tilak Varma (29 off 18) and Axar Patel (26) added crucial late runs while Oman’s Ameer Khaleem, Faisal Shah and Jiten Ramanandi picked up two wickets apiece to prevent India from running away with the total.

While chasing a 189-run target, Oman made a confident start, reaching 44 without loss in the powerplay. Amir Kaleem was at the center as he led from the front, mixing calmness with timely boundaries. At 43, he reached his half-century in just 38 balls, becoming the oldest player to score a fifty-plus knock in Asia Cup history.

He was well supported by Hammad Mirza, who launched a counterattack with a 51-run innings that included a flurry of sixes. Together, the pair kept India under pressure and pushed the game deep into the final overs.

With Oman poised at 131/1 after 16 overs, the match hung in the balance. Harshit Rana provided the breakthrough by dismissing Kaleem for a valiant 64 off 46 balls while Hardik Pandya sent back Mirza to tilt the contest back in India’s favour.

The defining moment came in the final over when Arshdeep Singh dismissed Vinayak Shukla to complete his 100th T20I wicket. With this scalp he become the first Indian bowler to achieve the milestone. Oman eventually closed their innings at 167/4, 21 runs shy of the target.

India will take confidence from Samson's form and Arshdeep's historic feat as they head into the Super Four stage. Although Oman lost the match, they earned admiration for their fight with both ball and bat, which made the game exciting and took it to the death overs.