India seal Super Four spot as UAE down Oman

India became the first team to book their place in the Super Four of the Asia Cup 2025 after the United Arab Emirates handed Oman a 42-run defeat in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The result knocked Oman out of contention and ensured India's progression from Group A, regardless of the outcome of their final group-stage fixture against Oman on Friday. India currently sit atop the table with four points from two wins, while Pakistan and the UAE are tied on two points each, with the former ahead on net run-rate. Oman remain winless after two matches.

At the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, UAE openers Alishan Sharafu and skipper Muhammad Waseem set the tone with commanding half-centuries. After a cautious start, the pair shifted gears, adding quick runs in the powerplay and middle overs. Sharafu struck 51 off 38 balls before falling in the 11th over, while Waseem anchored the innings with a fluent 69 from 54 deliveries. His knock also carried personal significance, as he became the fastest player in the world to reach 3,000 T20I runs in terms of balls played, achieving the milestone in 1,947 balls and surpassing Jos Buttler's previous mark of 2,068 deliveries. Aaron Finch (2,077), David Warner (2,113), and Rohit Sharma (2,149) are next on the list. He also became the third-fastest player to reach this milestone in terms of innings played after Mohammad Rizwan (79 innings), Virat Kohli (81 innings), and Babar Azam (also 81 innings), having achieved the feat in his 84th innings. 

Late fireworks from Harshit Kaushik, who remained unbeaten on 19 off just 8 balls, propelled UAE to a competitive 172 for five in 20 overs.

In reply, Oman's chase faltered almost immediately. Junaid Siddique struck twice in his opening burst before returning later to finish with figures of 4-23. Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah chipped in with two wickets apiece as Oman were bundled out for 130 in 18.4 overs. Jatinder Singh briefly threatened with a brisk 20 off 10 balls, while Aryan Bisht (24 off 32) and Vinayak Shukla (15 off 18) offered some resistance, but the target always looked out of reach.

The win not only kept UAE's Super Four hopes alive but also confirmed India's safe passage. The equation in Group A is now simple. UAE must beat Pakistan to stand any chance of advancing, while India's final group game will serve only as a formality.