Tuesday 03 / February / 2026
COLOMBO: A classy half-century by experienced Oman opener Aamir Kaleem, backed by a disciplined bowling effort, gave Oman a morale-boosting five-wicket win in their opening official ICC Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka A at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground on Tuesday.
The victory will give the Duleep Mendis-coached side plenty of confidence ahead of their Group B campaign, which begins against Zimbabwe on February 9. Oman are drawn along with former world champions Australia, hosts Sri Lanka, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Anchored by a vintage knock from the 44-year-old Kaleem, Oman chased down a modest target of 146 after restricting the hosts to 145 for 9, finishing on 146 for 5 in 18 overs.
Oman’s chase was defined by the authority and assurance of Kaleem, whose 80 off 47 balls was a reminder of his value as Mr Reliable at the top of the order in high-pressure tournaments. He mixed caution with aggression, finding gaps early before launching into the spinners with clean, calculated hitting. His innings, laced with eight fours and three sixes, ensured Oman stayed comfortably ahead of the required rate despite a brief wobble.
The early loss of Hammad Mirza and Wasim Ali momentarily stalled the momentum, and Sri Lanka A sensed an opening when Wanuja Sahan struck three times in a superb spell, including the prized wickets of Kaleem and Mohammad Nadeem. At 78 for 4 and later 113 for 5, the contest briefly flickered.
Any lingering doubts were swiftly extinguished by Vinayak Shukla, who played a polished finishing role. The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 39 from 24 balls, striking timely boundaries and showing composure under pressure. Supported by Jiten Ramanandi at the other end, Shukla guided Oman home with two overs to spare, underlining the depth and calmness in the batting line-up.
Earlier, put in to bat, Sri Lanka A never quite found sustained momentum against Oman’s varied bowling attack. A brisk start promised early fireworks as Sineth Jayawardena and Dulnith Sigera struck a few crisp boundaries, but the innings soon lost shape once the spinners settled into their rhythm.
Shah Faisal struck twice in his opening spell, removing Jayawardena and Pulindu Perera, while Nadeem Khan and Jay Odedra tightened the screws through the middle overs.
The Lankan innings revolved around Sahan’s counter-attacking 29 off 21 balls and a late flourish from Chamindu Wijesinghe, who remained unbeaten on 24 from just 13 deliveries. However, regular wickets ensured Sri Lanka A were restricted to 145 for 9, a total that always felt slightly under par on a true surface.
Spinners Jay Odedra and Shakeel Ahmed chipped in with two wickets apiece, while medium pacer Shah Faisal’s economical four-over spell of 2 for 21 set the tone up front.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka A 145/9 (Wanuja Sahan 29, Chamindu Wijesinghe 24*; Shah Faisal 2/21, Jay Odedra 2/18, Shakeel Ahmed 2/24) lost to Oman 146/5 in 18 overs (Aamir Kaleem 80, Vinayak Shukla 39*; Wanuja Sahan 3/16).
