Muscat: All-rounder Sufyan Mehmood became the first Omani captain to lead an all-Omani team to qualify for the 20th Asian Games in Japan after Oman won its second successive Asian Games men’s qualifier in Singapore.
Oman sealed qualification with a 20-run win over Bahrain at the Singapore National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Speaking to the Oman Observer, the 34-year-old praised his team’s performance, especially the squad that included 13 debutants.
“We had 13 debutants in our squad and I am proud of our players who showed no stage fright in securing two consecutive wins against Singapore and Bahrain,” said Mehmood.
The left-handed batsman highlighted the importance of coming to Singapore early to adapt to the local conditions, which helped Oman make a strong start to the tournament.
“We beat Singapore at their home and we got into the city early and got used to the conditions quickly,” he said.
The win against Bahrain gave Sufyan added significance as the skipper remained unbeaten on 40 runs during the tournament.
The medium-pacer also picked up a wicket in this match, taking 17 T20 wickets in the last year. Jitan shared the record with Ramanandhi for taking most T20I wickets for Oman during that period.
Looking ahead, Sufyan said Oman’s focus now turned to winning the tournament title.
“We want to win the championship in Singapore. Our players are excited and confident for the semi-finals,” he said.
The team is led by former Oman captain Sultan Ahmed and was formed through Oman Cricket’s all-Omani team program launched in March 2025.
“We have been training for almost two years and thanks to our coaches and Oman Cricket officials, the players are in great shape and technique for the qualifiers,” he concluded.
The 13-nation Non-Student T20I Qualifier was held in Singapore from May 31 to June 8.