Exclusive | ‘Surya told us we’re already qualified’: How India game transformed Oman’s T20 World Cup belief

The defining moment of Oman’s cricketing journey came during their spirited showing against India at the Asia Cup 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Though the Jatinder Singh-led side went down by 21 runs, the performance of the world No. 20 side against the Men in Blue turned heads across the cricketing world.

Chasing India’s 188/4, Aamir Kaleem (64) and Hammad Mirza (51) gave Suryakumar Yadav’s team a genuine scare before Oman finished on 167/4 in 20 overs. It was Oman’s debut appearance in the continental showpiece, and the lack of big-match experience ultimately told.

Yet, the impact of that game went far beyond the result.

That performance against India gave Oman belief. A belief that they are no pushovers. A Suryakumar masterclass at the end of the game for the whole Oman contingent was the cherry on the cake. Thereon, there was no looking back for Oman as they went on to win six out of seven games during the Asia Qualifiers 2025, to secure their spot for the mega event.

“Playing against a world Champion team and doing well is itself a big boost,” Sulakshan Kulkarni, deputy head coach of Oman, told Livemint in an exclusive interaction before their departure to Sri Lanka. “Rather, that performance has helped the team qualify for the T20 World Cup.”

Kulkarni revealed how a brief post-match interaction with Suryakumar Yadav left a lasting impression on the squad.

“That (performance against India) helped us to believe individually and as a team that we can do it at this level,” added Kulkarni, who has played for Railways and Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.

“After the game, one of our officials asked Suryakumar about Oman’s chances in the World Cup qualifiers. He replied, ‘What chances? You are already qualified,’” Kulkarni recalled.

“That kind of confidence we took over, and from there on, we won eight out of nine games. It shows that the game was a big morale booster,” opined Kulkarni, who also happened to have played a big role in Suryakumar's rise during the India captain's initial years in Mumbai.

Drawn in Group A alongside Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Ireland, Oman face a formidable challenge. Kulkarni acknowledged the gap but insisted the team is not travelling as mere participants. Oman is here to compete, he said.

“Obviously, these teams (the likes of Australia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Ireland) are miles ahead of us in terms of skill, quality and experience,” said Kulkarni, a former Railways and Mumbai Ranji Trophy cricketer. “But the opportunity to play Test-playing nations is invaluable. We are not going there just to participate; we are going there to compete.”

“In the last three months, we have been busy playing cricket,” Kulkarni said.

“In the Asia Cup, where we played really well against India, and then in the World Cup qualifiers, we won six out of seven games. The momentum is certainly there, and after that, we had a corporate tournament in the T20 format. Mostly, players are busy playing matches. In a way, it is good to have match practice,” Kulkarni added

That said, Kulkarni admitted that the lack of international bilateral series could be a disadvantage.

“Absolutely. A bilateral series would have helped a lot,” he conceded. “At least one or two series would have been ideal preparation for a tournament of this magnitude.”

Oman's T20 World Cup 2026 schedule