Asia Cup 2025: IND vs OMAN pitch report, highest score, Abu Dhabi key stats

Defending champions India, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, face Oman in their final group-stage clash of the Asia Cup 2025 at Abu Dhabi. With a Super Four blockbuster against Pakistan looming, the match serves as both a formality and fine-tuning opportunity for India. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bat first.

India vs Oman Playing 11 for the match:  India's playing 11 vs Oman: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav  Oman's playing 11 vs India: Jatinder Singh (capt), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem, Aryan Bisht, Zikria Islam, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, Jiten Ramanandi

 

Team India was the first side to secure a place in the Super-Four stage of the tournament. They kicked off their campaign with a dominant nine-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates. This was followed by an impressive seven-wicket victory against long-time rivals Pakistan, further asserting their strong form. With back-to-back wins under their belt, India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, head into this fixture as clear favourites. 

 

Given that this game has no impact on India’s qualification, the team management may opt to rotate the squad and give some players a rest. This could be an opportunity for those on the bench to get some game time ahead of the more crucial Super-Four fixtures. One likely change could see pacer Arshdeep Singh coming into the playing XI in place of the experienced Jasprit Bumrah, who might be rested to manage his workload and keep him fresh for the tougher challenges ahead.

 

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi pitch report for IND vs OMAN Asia Cup 2025 match

 

In the initial six games of the 2025 Asia Cup held at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the average first-innings score has hovered around 160. Interestingly, teams batting first have emerged victorious in three of these matches, suggesting a clear trend. This pattern indicates that the pitch tends to favor teams that set a target rather than chase one. Given these statistics, opting to bat first after winning the toss could prove to be a strategic advantage. Captains may look to capitalize on the conditions early on and put pressure on the opposition with scoreboard pressure.

 

Recent match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi 

The last T20I match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi of Asia Cup 2025 was between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Afghanistan, batting first, put up a challenging total of 169/8 on the board. In reply, Sri Lanka chased down 170 within 18.4 overs to knock AFG out of the tournament and reach the Super 4 undefeated.

 

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi: Key stats

 

The Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi has built a fascinating T20I history across its 96 matches, producing both high-scoring fireworks and dramatic low totals. The ground is remembered for extremes: Ireland’s 225/7 against Afghanistan remains the highest total here, while at the other end of the spectrum, USA Women’s 54 all out versus Thailand Women is the lowest score recorded. Successful chases have also seen their share of contrasts, from South Africa’s dominant 174/2 against Ireland to Thailand Women’s gritty defence of just 93/8 against PNG Women, the smallest total ever defended.

 

The venue’s overall numbers reveal a delicate balance between bat and ball. Teams chasing have won 52 times compared to 44 wins for sides batting first, although their average second-innings score of 127 is notably lower than the first-innings average of 140, underlining the challenge of pursuing targets under pressure.

 

Individual brilliance has lit up the ground as well. Shaiman Anwar leads the batting charts with 340 runs, with Paul Stirling close behind on 314. Karim Janat’s explosive strike rate of 154.10 stands out, while consistent performers like Zeeshan Maqsood and Najibullah Zadran have anchored several innings.

 

On the bowling front, Bilal Khan and Rashid Khan share the record with 19 wickets each, though they have excelled in different ways, Bilal with an impressive average of 14.58, and Rashid with a miserly economy of 6.02. Mark Adair’s strike rate of 12.67 has also been exceptional. Meanwhile, the versatility of Rohan Mustafa and Maqsood has added depth, providing crucial balance with both bat and ball.