Team India gears up for their final group stage game in the Asia Cup 2025, where they will face underdogs Oman in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The men in blue have already secured a berth in the Super 4s and will look
to end the first round of the Asian championship undefeated.
India’s fixture on Friday evening in Abu Dhabi will be their 250th T20I encounter. With 249 matches in the shortest format, India are currently placed second on the list of teams to play the most T20 Internationals. Pakistan stand atop with 275 matches, and thus, India will become only the second team in the world to play 250 or more T20I matches.
Teams With Most T20I Appearances
| Teams | T20I Appearances | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result |
| Pakistan | 275 | 157 | 107 | 4 | 7 |
| India | 249 | 166 | 71 | 6 | 6 |
| New Zealand | 235 | 123 | 95 | 10 | 7 |
| West Indies | 228 | 95 | 119 | 3 | 11 |
| Sri Lanka | 212 | 96 | 109 | 5 | 2 |
With two low-scoring chases in their first games, the team management would prefer to bat first and get the most out of 20 overs before heading into the Super 4s.
Openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill will look to make the most of the opportunity. While Abhishek has given brisk starts, Gill will want to play a longer innings. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who looked in good touch against Pakistan, hopes youngsters like Tilak Varma also spend time in the middle. The middle order of Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel will want batting practice as India could play four matches in seven days if they reach the final.
In bowling, Jasprit Bumrah’s workload will be watched. Gautam Gambhir may rest him, though Bumrah could prefer to bowl his four overs to stay in rhythm. If rested, Arshdeep Singh may return. Harshit Rana is another option, with one spinner between Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy, possibly rotated.
For Oman, the task is steep. Their batting has struggled, with scores of 67 and 130 against Pakistan and UAE. None of their players has crossed 30, with Hammad Mirza (27) and Aryan Bisht (24) their best. Facing India’s spin and pace will be a huge challenge.
This will be India’s first game in Abu Dhabi. Kuldeep Yadav reminded that no team can be taken lightly in T20s. For India, the match is about fine-tuning and carrying momentum into the Super 4s.
(With Agency Inputs)
