India will play their last group game of the Asia Cup 2025 against Oman. India have already qualified for the Super 4s. (Agencies)

India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will face Oman in their final Asia Cup group league match in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Having already secured their spot in the Super 4s, India aim to utilise this opportunity for batting practice before their crucial rematch against Pakistan on Sunday.The Indian team, after two low-scoring chases in their previous matches, would prefer to bat first and make full use of their 20 overs against a struggling Oman side.

While Abhishek Sharma has shown promising starts, Shubman Gill looks to extend his time at the crease. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, who performed well against Pakistan, wants Tilak Varma to get more batting experience.The middle-order comprising Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel needs substantial batting practice before the tournament’s crucial phase, which includes four potential matches in seven days if India reach the final.India’s bowling lineup appears formidable against Oman’s batting order, with spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy posing significant challenges for Jatinder Singh’s team.Oman’s batting performance has been disappointing in their previous matches against Pakistan and UAE, managing only 67 and 130 runs respectively. No Omani batter has crossed the 30-run mark in either game.Hammad Mirza’s 27 against Pakistan and Aryan Bisht’s 24 off 32 balls against UAE have been their highest individual scores.Head coach Gautam Gambhir might consider resting Jasprit Bumrah before the Super 4s. Arshdeep Singh could get a chance to play if Bumrah rests. Additionally, Harshit Rana might feature if Gambhir decides to rest either Varun or Kuldeep.The match offers an opportunity to move past the recent controversy regarding the Indian team’s decision not to shake hands with Pakistan players, a gesture made in respect to the 26 Indian tourists killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.The Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch remains an unknown factor as this will be India’s only game at this venue during the tournament.The team has opted against traveling to Abu Dhabi for training, considering the two-hour one-way bus journey would be too exhausting when combined with their regular three-hour training session.Instead, they will follow an ‘in and out’ approach – traveling on match day, playing the game, and returning at night, followed by a rest day on Saturday before the Pakistan match on Sunday.India vs Oman head-to-headIndia and Oman have never played each other in a T20I contest. They did, however, face India Colts in the Emerging Asia Cup last year where an India A side, captained by Tilak Varma, beat Oman by 6 wickets.This is going to be a herculean task for an already-eliminated Oman. Their only wins against ICC’s full-member nations have both come against Ireland in 2016 and 2019.India vs Oman live streaming

India vs Oman squadsIndia squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh.Oman squad: Jatinder Singh (captain), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla, Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedera, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammed Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Karan Sonavale, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Ali Shah, Faisal Shah, Muhammed Imran, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmad, and Samay Shrivastava.