Colombo: Oman captain Jatinder Singh admitted that his side failed to put enough runs on the board after they suffered an 8-wicket loss against Zimbabwe in their first match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, played at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground (SSC) in Colombo on Monday.
After being put to bat first, Oman was all out for just 103 runs in 19.5 overs. The small target was chased by Zimbabwe in just 13.3 overs.
“Asked to bat first, our batters didn’t put enough runs on the board. So it is a bit too much to ask for the bowlers to take charge at 106,” said Jatinder in the post-match presentation.
“So, yeah, as a batting unit, we did not click. So I think in a T20 game, you have to have around 160-170 competitive runs for the bowlers to put up a fight,” he added.
Jatinder also spoke about the bounce available at the ground, saying his side was prepared but faced a slightly different challenge than expected.
“Well, we had played a warm-up game, so we were very much ready for it. But we did not expect the wicket; on the pitch, the bounce was a little extra compared to the ones that we played during the warm-up games. The only thing is, we had to cope with it.”
Despite the defeat, the Oman captain pointed to positives from the match and was happy with the fielding effort.
“We can take the positives. Sufyan Mehmood bowled really well. Then Faisal also bowled really well. I think the fielding was quite good. So I think we can take that forward,” he said.
Jatinder revealed that he addressed the team immediately after the match, urging his players to stay confident and focused for the remainder of the tournament.
“Well, we had a huddle as soon as the game got over. So we huddled up, and I just cheered them up. ‘You don’t have to put your shoulders down. This is just the start of the tournament. You know, be ready. A miracle can happen. And you just have to have a strong self-belief. And we are the guys who are going to make a difference. And you have to be the warrior,” he added.
Oman will now face the co-hosts, Sri Lanka, in their second T20 World Cup match at the Pallekele International Stadium on Thursday.
(IANS)
