Asia Cup Rising Stars: India A defeat Oman by six wickets, reach semifinal

DOHA: India A secured their spot in the semifinals of the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025-26 with a convincing six-wicket victory over Oman in a crucial Group B T20 encounter at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Tuesday.

After being put in to bat, Oman got off to a quick start, helped mainly by skipper Hammad Mirza (32), who provided early momentum. However, India A’s bowlers quickly pulled the tempo with a few timely wickets. While Wasim Ali top-scored for Oman with 54-run innings, but despite his efforts, the middle and lower order struggled to accelerate against Indian bowling.

The pick of the bowlers for India A were the spinners, with Suyash Sharma and Gurjapneet Singh each claiming two wickets. Quick wickets from Vijaykumar Vyshak, Harsh Dubey, and Naman Dhir ensured Oman was restricted to a manageable total of 135 for 7 in their 20 overs.

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Chasing a target of 136, India A faced a nervous moment early on, losing both openers, Priyansh Arya and the in-form Vaibhav Suryavanshi, relatively cheaply. At 37 for 2, the match looked evenly poised.

However, a crucial partnership between Harsh Dubey and vice-captain Naman Dhir steadied the ship for the Men in Blue. Dhir contributed a quick-fire 30 before his dismissal. The charge was then led by all-rounder Harsh Dubey, who anchored the chase with an unbeaten 53.

Despite Wadhera’s late dismissal, India A completed the chase comfortably in the 18th over, winning by six wickets and securing their place in the semifinals of the tournament.

Notably, India entered the match after a heavy loss to Pakistan A. The Jitesh Sharma-led side went down to the arch-rivals by eight wickets. India will now compete against one of Hong Kong, Afghanistan A, Sri Lanka A or Bangladesh A in the semifinal. (ANI)