Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha leads his team against debutants Oman, captained by Jatinder Singh, in their first-ever men’s international meeting at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium during the Asia Cup 2025.
Match basics
- Fixture: Pakistan vs Oman (Asia Cup 2025, 4th Match, Group A), Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE.
- Date/Time: Friday, September 12, 2025; start 8:00 PM IST (toss approx. 7:30 PM IST).
- Toss: Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, prioritizing runs on the board in night conditions.
Live coverage
- Ball-by-ball: Major score platforms are carrying live commentary and score widgets for real-time updates of the Group A clash.
- Live blogs: Indian and international outlets are running minute-by-minute coverage, including toss notes, pitch reports, and over-by-over recaps.
Squads and key players
- Pakistan squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem.
- Oman squad: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Ashish Odedara, Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Aryan Bisht, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Hassnain Shah, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, Karan Sonavale, Mohammad Imran, Shah Faisal, Zikria Islam, Sufyan Yousaf, Nadeem Khan.
Likely XIs and roles
- Pakistan: Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan expected up top; support from Fakhar Zaman and captain Salman Ali Agha; pace led by Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf with spin options in Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz.
- Oman: Captain Jatinder Singh anchors the order with experienced options like Aamir Kaleem and Mohammad Nadeem; Shakeel Ahmed and Sufyan Mehmood among the bowling choices on a dry Dubai strip.
Form and context
- Pakistan arrive after winning the UAE T20I Tri-Series, pivoting to a youthful T20 core without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for this tournament cycle.
- Oman are making their Asia Cup debut, bringing a refreshed lineup after their February series against the USA and looking to spring an upset in Group A.
Pitch and conditions
- The surface mirrors the India–UAE strip used earlier this week: hard, a touch drier, with early seam movement and lively bounce making the bouncer effective under lights.
- Bat-first calls have emphasized scoreboard pressure as night dew remains manageable in Dubai’s September conditions for quality seam-spin units.
Live score pulses
- Early overs: Concurrent live blogs reported a steady start in the powerplay as Pakistan looked to build a platform through the top three against Oman’s new ball unit.
- In-play note: Over-by-over feeds are tracking Farhan’s tempo and Oman’s use of pace-off on a pitch that rewards hard lengths and mix-ups.
Players to watch
- Pakistan: Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf with the new ball; middle-overs control via Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz; top-order impetus from Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan.
- Oman: Jatinder Singh’s anchoring role; senior all-rounders Aamir Kaleem and Mohammad Nadeem to steady and strike; Shakeel Ahmed as a key middle-overs option.
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