By News18,Rudransh Khurana
Copyright news18
India have qualified for the Super Four stage in the 2025 Asia Cup, thanks to Oman’s 42-run defeat to the United Arab Emirates in the UAE on Monday and a resultant exit from the tournament.
The Men in Blue got to four points after their seven-wicket triumph over Pakistan on Sunday. UAE’s win took them to two points, the same as Pakistan, while Oman have no points after two matches.
Two matches remain in Group A. The first will be played between the UAE and Pakistan on Wednesday, September 7. It’ll be a knockout game, with the winner reaching four points to proceed to the Super Four round. The second will be between India and Oman on Friday, which will be a dead rubber.
As neither of UAE nor Pakistan can go past India’s four points, the worst Suryakumar Yadav can finish is second. Had Oman beaten the UAE, it would have left all three teams except India with two points, still leaving the door ajar for two teams to reach four points and challenge India on net run-rate.
Oman, though have a match to play, can reach a maximum of two points. Even if the Pakistan-UAE game is washed out, both will go past two points and thus Oman can’t finish better than fourth.
India will also be joined by the best two teams from Group B (which comprises Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh). These four sides will then play one match each with the other three, and the best two on points will then make it to the final, scheduled for Sunday, September 28.
How the UAE beat Oman by 42 runs
UAE’s Super-Four hopes are still alive thanks to skipper Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu, who hit rapid fifties before Junaid Siddique’s impressive bowling (4/23) led the home side to a 42-run win.
Waseem scored 69 off 54 balls, while Sharafu made a 38-ball 51, guiding UAE to 172 for five. Oman were bowled out for 130 in 18.4 overs.
Siddique dismissed openers Aamir Kaleem (2) and Jatinder Singh (20), with Oman at 23 for two. Left-arm spinner Haider Ali (2/22) reduced Oman to 50 for five.
Aryan Bisht and Vinayak Shukla added 38 runs for the sixth wicket, but Bisht was bowled by Muhammad Jawadullah (2/18). Jawadullah later took Jiten Ramanandi’s (13) wicket, and Siddique added another as UAE neared victory.
Ramanandi briefly stemmed the UAE’s flow with figures of 2/24. Sharafu and Waseem’s quick start helped the UAE to 50 runs in the power play. Despite drops, Waseem capitalised on chances, and the UAE reached 83 for no loss in 10 overs. Sharafu fell to Ramanandi, leaving the UAE at 172.