Sufyan Mehmood inspires Oman as debutant-heavy squad reach Asian Games 2026

MUSCAT: All-rounder Sufyan Mehmood became the first Omani captain to lead an all-Omani side to qualification for the 20th Asian Games in Japan after Oman secured their place with a second consecutive victory in the Asian Games Men's Qualifier in Singapore.

After defeating hosts Singapore in their Group B opener, Oman registered a 20-run win over Bahrain at the Singapore National Cricket Ground on Wednesday to confirm qualification.

Speaking to Oman Observer, The 34-year-old lauded his team’s performance especially a squad that included 13 debutants.

“We had 13 debutants in the team, I am proud of our players who showed no stage-fear in clinching two back-to-back wins against hosts Singapore and Bahrain,” Mehmood said.

The left-handed batter highlighted the importance of arriving in Singapore early to adapt to local conditions, which helped Oman make a strong start to the tournament.

“We beat Singapore at their home and we got used to the conditions quickly as we had landed early in the city,,” he stated.

The victory over Bahrain held extra significance for Sufyan as the captain remained unbeaten on 40 during the match after Bahrain had previously defeated Oman in a series in Muscat.

The medium pacer also claimed a wicket in the match, taking his tally to 17 T20I wickets over the past year. He now shares the record for the most T20I wickets for Oman during that period with Jiten Ramanandi.

Looking ahead, Sufyan said Oman’s focus has now shifted to winning the tournament title. 

“We want to win the championship in Singapore. Our players are upbeat and confident for the semifinal,” he said.

The team has been guided by former Oman captain Sultan Ahmed and developed through Oman Cricket’s all-Omani team project, launched in March 2025.

“We have been training for almost two years and thanks to our coaches and the Oman Cricket officials, the players are in great shape and technique for the Qualifiers,” he concluded.

For the unversed, the T20I qualifying tournament, featuring 13 nations, was held in Singapore from May 31 to June 8.