Oman captain Jatinder Singh urges India to step in and help his team narrow the gap between Test nations and Associate teams.
Oman Makes a Strong Asia Cup Debut Against India
Oman put up a strong fight against India in their Asia Cup clash in Abu Dhabi, even though they lost. Facing India for the first time in any format, they challenged the world’s No.1 T20I team right until the end, eventually falling short by 21 runs.
If India can welcome us and let us train there, making their home feel like ours, it would be a huge boost,” Jatinder said. “Training at NCAs, improving our skills, fitness, and mindset, and playing T20s with club and Ranji teams would really help us close the gap.
Oman has played in World Cups before, but this was their debut in the Asia Cup, a tournament with a rich history dating back to the 1980s.
Jatinder Singh Urges India to Support Associate Nations
We are an Associate nation, and the truth is we rarely get to play against Test-playing countries,” Jatinder said. “So getting this chance is a huge opportunity, and I’m very proud of the boys for showing great character in this situation.
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“I believe tournaments like this, held regularly, should include more Associate nations. It gives them a chance to compete closely with Test-playing teams and helps close the gap between them,” he said.
“Oman players are as capable as anyone. We rarely get opportunities to play in franchise cricket, but if they do, it would give them valuable experience. They could bring that knowledge back to Oman and help train the younger players,” he said.
Jatinder also shared his thoughts on the team’s final Asia Cup game and expressed excitement about the upcoming T20 World Cup qualifiers at home.
Looking Ahead T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Oman
In T20 cricket, anything can happen and any team can win. The boys had their plans and executed them well. Overall, I’m very pleased with everyone’s performance in bowling, fielding, and batting. Early on, we missed partnerships, but the team showed great character when it mattered most, he said.
I’m really proud of the team. Now, with the T20 World Cup qualifiers coming up in Oman, the boys are ready to give their best,” he said.