Oman captain Jatinder Singh believes his team has a chance to beat the struggling Australian squad in the final group-stage match of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Australia’s campaign has been dismal since their 67-run victory over Ireland in the tournament opener, with losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in subsequent matches culminating in a humbling group-stage departure – only the second time Australia has suffered this fate since 2009.
Meanwhile, bottom-placed Oman has fared much worse, losing convincingly to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Ireland. Australia also crushed Oman in their single meeting, at the 2024 edition. However, Jatinder believes that this could be the “best time to crush them.”
“One hundred percent this is an opportunity,” Jatinder said ahead of the match in Pallekele. “And our boys are looking forward to it. Because T20 is a game of momentum and the moments, and if you play those moments right, you can do anything on that particular day. Australia is not doing well at the moment… it is the best time to crush them. The boys are really positive. They are looking forward to the match against Australia to make their mark.”
When asked how Oman could prepare to compete with stronger teams, Jatinder suggested that franchise cricket and greater game time could “fill the gap”. In 2025, Oman played only 15 Twenty20 Internationals and eight One-Day Internationals.
“Well, if I have to sum up [how Oman can improve], it would be if we have the franchise cricket happening in the country or our guys get a chance to play franchise cricket elsewhere,” Jatinder said. “I think we can fill that gap and they can bring vast amount of experience for our national team.
“But if we don’t get to play competitive cricket, whereas other teams are getting to play competitive cricket, we will need to fill that gap. There have been instances where we’ve been inviting the teams to come and play in Oman. The response has been really delayed, or we don’t get any response. So, I think if we have the franchise cricket, that would really fill the gap.”
