Oman beat Zimbabwe in warm-up clash ahead of T20 World Cup opener

COLOMBO: Oman will head into the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 with added confidence after registering a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in a warm-up match at the Colombo Cricket Club (CCC).

Chasing a challenging target of 188, Oman were led by opening batter Jatinder Singh, who played a commanding knock of 55 off 33 deliveries. 

Jiten Ramanandi then sealed the chase with an impactful unbeaten 34 off 18 balls, guiding Oman home with four balls to spare.

The two sides are set to meet again in their opening match of the tournament proper at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), Colombo, on February 9.

Oman captain Aamir Kaleem provided early momentum with a quickfire 23 off 11 balls, striking two fours and two sixes.

Jatinder followed it up with a crucial second-wicket partnership of 79 runs alongside Hammad Mirza, who contributed 35 off 25 deliveries, laying a strong foundation for the successful chase.

Earlier, after opting to bowl first, Oman witnessed Zimbabwe make a blistering start. Brian Bennett starred at the top, smashing 56 off just 28 balls and dominating the opening stand of 86 with Brendan Taylor. 

However, despite the rapid beginning, Zimbabwe slipped to 94 for 5 in the 11th over, with Taylor retiring out on 26.

Tashinga Musekiwa then steadied the innings with an unbeaten 54 off 28 balls. He added 43 runs for the sixth wicket with Dion Myers and a further 33 for the seventh wicket with Brad Evans, helping Zimbabwe post a competitive total of 187. 

The effort, however, fell short as Oman completed the chase late in the innings.

For the unversed, Oman are scheduled to play four matches across Sri Lanka, with fixtures subject to final confirmation by the ICC. 

They will open their campaign against Zimbabwe on February 9 in Colombo, before taking on hosts Sri Lanka in Kandy on February 12. 

Oman will then face Ireland on February 14 in Colombo, followed by a tough encounter against Australia in Kandy on February 20.

Oman squad: Jatinder Singh (c), Vinayak Shukla, Mohammad Nadeem, Shakeel Ahmad, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Shah Faisal, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra, Shafiq Jan, Ashish Odedara, Jiten Ramanandi and Aamir Kaleem.