Oman captain Jatinder Singh believes his team can take advantage of Australia’s poor performance in their final group-stage match of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Australia started strong with a 67-run victory over Ireland but has since lost to both Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, resulting in an unexpected group-stage exit—only the second time this has happened since 2009.
Oman, currently at the bottom of the group, has faced tougher challenges with losses to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Ireland. They also lost significantly to Australia during their previous encounter in 2024. However, Jatinder thinks this is the perfect moment for Oman to seize an opportunity.
“This is definitely an opportunity,” Jatinder said before the match in Pallekele. “Our team is looking forward to this. T20 is about momentum, and if we play the right moments, we can achieve anything on that day. Australia is struggling at the moment… it’s the right time to take them on. The team is positive and eager to make a mark against Australia.”
When asked how Oman could improve against stronger teams, Jatinder pointed to the importance of franchise Cricket and increased match exposure. In 2025, Oman participated in only 15 T20Is and eight ODIs.
“To sum up [how Oman can improve], it boils down to having franchise cricket in our country or allowing our players opportunities to play elsewhere,” Jatinder mentioned. “This experience could greatly benefit our national team.”
“Without competitive cricket, we fall behind other teams. We’ve tried inviting teams to play in Oman but haven’t received timely responses. Thus, setting up franchise cricket could really help us close that gap.”
