Sanju Samson marked his anticipated return to the crease in the Asia Cup with a patient half-century, guiding the Indian side to a total of 188/8 against Oman at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. This was his first outing with the bat after not being required in India’s initial two fixtures against the UAE and Pakistan.
However, Samson’s innings of 56 runs from 45 deliveries turned out to be his slowest T20 International fifty in terms of balls faced, as he crossed the 50-run mark in 41 deliveries. The right-handed batsman strategically scored 35 runs on the off side and 21 on the leg, playing a crucial anchoring role after an early setback.
India’s start to the innings was far from ideal, with opener Shubman Gill quickly dismissed by Faisal Shah for just five runs. Abhishek Sharma then provided a much-needed spark, smashing a rapid 38 off just 15 balls during the powerplay, before his innings was cut short by Jiten Ramanandi. In an unfortunate turn of events, Hardik Pandya, who was promoted to bat at number four, was run out when a powerful drive from Samson deflected off Ramanandi’s hand onto the non-striker’s stumps.
Samson then built a vital partnership with Axar Patel, who accelerated the scoring rate with a quickfire 26 runs from 13 balls. Later, Tilak Varma contributed 29 runs from 18 deliveries. Despite these contributions, consistent fall of wickets meant India could not push beyond the 200-run mark. Harshit Rana offered some late hitting, clearing the ropes in the final over to bolster the score.
For Oman, Faisal Shah was the standout bowler, delivering an impressive spell to claim 2 wickets for just 23 runs. Ramanandi and Aamir Kaleem also chipped in effectively, each taking 2 wickets for 31 runs, collectively ensuring India remained restricted under 200 runs despite their batting depth.
Ultimately, India’s total of 188/8 stood as their third-highest score against an Associate team in T20 Internationals.