Desert Cup T20I Series 2022: Oman vs Saudi Arabia – Match 1 Preview and Updates

Cricket

Oman will look to get off to a good start in the Desert Cup T20I Series 2022 when they face Saudi Arabia in the first game. The team has played a lot of cricket in recent months, and the players are in good shape. Saudi Arabia returns to T20 cricket after a 13-month absence, and the team faces a difficult task.

Oman plays at home, which is a significant advantage for the team. Their players are aware of these conditions and would seek to take advantage of them. The team has good batsmen who have made runs against quality attacks. The young Saudi team would be under pressure, and it remains to be seen how they perform.

The 1st Match between Oman vs Saudi Arabia will take place on November 14th, 2022 at Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 1), Al Amerat.

Match Details to Note

Match: Oman vs Saudi Arabia, 1st, Desert Cup T20I Series 2022

Date: November 14, 2022 (Monday)

Time: 5:30 PM IST

Venue: Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 1), Al Amerat

Oman vs Saudi Arabia

Oman (Match Odds – 1.09):

Preview:

Zeeshan Maqsood would be upbeat about this game. His team has played a lot of cricket in the last year, and the players’ skills have improved. The team is strong in spin bowling, which is an advantage at this venue. Maqsood would like to get off to a good start in the tournament by winning this game.

Jatinder Singh and Kashyap Prajapati are an experienced opening pair who must get the team off to a good start. Maqsood has recently scored runs, which gives him confidence. With Shoaib Khan and Mohammad Nadeem in the middle order, he must anchor the innings. Ayaan Khan, Khawar Ali, and Suraj Kumar will try to take advantage of the long handle and score quick runs.

In these conditions, their bowlers would be confident. Sufyan Mahmood and Bilal Khan are expected to bowl well with the new ball for the team. Maqsood is a seasoned bowler who strengthens this attack. Fayyaz Butt, Khawar Ali, and Ayaan Khan add depth and make it strong.

Full Squad:

Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Jatinder Singh, Kashyap Prajapati, Shoaib Khan, Sandeep Goud, Ayaan Khan, Mohammed Nadeem, Rafiullah, Sufyan Mahmood, Mohammed Naseem, Samay Shrivastav, Ahmed Fayyaz Butt, Bilal Khan, Kaleemullah

Possible Playing XI:

Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Kashyap Prajapati, Jatinder Singh, Shoaib Khan, Khawar Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Ayaan Khan, Suraj Kumar (wk), Fayyaz Butt, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, Sufyan Mahmood

Saudi Arabia (Match Odds – 7.40):

Preview:

Saudi Arabia returns to this format of the game after a long absence, and the team will be led by new captain Shoaib Ali. It will be a difficult challenge for the team because most of the players aren’t used to playing against larger teams. Shoaib Ali will try to instill confidence in his players and get the best out of them.

Openers Sajid Cheema and Faisal Khan will have a big job on their hands. They must get the side off to a good start. In the middle order, Abdul Waheed, Shamsudheen Purat, and Abdul Wahid will need to perform well against a strong bowling attack. In the lower middle order, the team is hoping for a strong performance from Muhammad Naeem and Khawar Zafar.

The bowlers face a difficult challenge in this game, and Shoaib Ali, along with Usman Ali, must lead from the front and bowl tight spells. Faisal Khan and Imran Yousuf will benefit from these conditions, but they must keep an eye on their scoring rate. Abdul Waheed and Abdul Wahid must perform admirably in supporting roles.

Full Squad:

Shoaib Ali (c), Abdul Waheed, Faisal Khan, Usman Ali, Sarfraz Butt (wk), Shamsudheen Purat, Abdul Wahid, Sajid Cheema, Muhammad Naeem, Adil Butt, Khawar Zafar, Ali Abbas, Imran Yousaf, Ibrarul Haq

Possible Playing XI:

Shoaib Ali (c), Sajid Cheema, Faisal Khan, Abdul Waheed, Abdul Wahid, Sarfraz Butt (wk), Imran Yousaf, Shamsudheen Purat, Muhammad Naeem, Khawar Zafar, Usman Ali

Oman vs Saudi Arabia Top Team Batsmen

So far this year, only three Oman players have scored more than 100 runs in this format. Their leading run scorer is skipper Zeeshan Maqsood, who hit 76 not out from 44 balls against Canada in Muscat and 43 not out against Nepal. Kashyap Prajapati and Shoaib Khan also reached half-centuries in 2022.

Faisal Khan, Saudi Arabia’s all-time leading run scorer, is one of two players on this team with a T20I score of more than 80. Khan, along with experienced right-hander Abdul Wahid, will be expected to score the majority of their team’s runs in this first game.

Oman vs Saudi Arabia Top Team Bowlers

Oman’s leading wicket-taker in this format this year is leg-spinner Khawar Ali, who is not in the squad for this tournament. In his absence, the onus will be on medium pacer Kaleemullah and quick bowler Fayyaz Butt, who have combined for 13 wickets in 2022.

Abdul Wahid, a medium pacer, has taken 15 wickets at an average of 16.93 in this format and will be a valuable asset to his team if he can maintain that average in this game. Imran Arif, a leg-spinner, should benefit from the conditions and add to his record of six wickets in four T20Is.

Oman vs Saudi Arabia Toss Prediction

The conditions are ideal for batting early in the day, and the ball will strike the bat hard. We don’t expect much help for the bowlers, and the wicket will most likely turn as the game progresses. The team that wins the toss should not be afraid to bat first.

Oman vs Saudi Arabia Pitch Report

The surface of Al Amerat Cricket Ground is flat. We’ve seen some big scores here in the past. Because the outfield is fast, batsmen can score runs in boundaries. Fast bowlers struggle on this wicket due to the low bounce. Spinners love these conditions because the ball takes a sharp turn.

There are forecasted to be clear skies over Al Amerat, as well as a warm afternoon. The wicket has been slow in recent matches, and batsmen must get their eyes set in to score runs here, with spinners having a field day. In this game, the team batting first would be content with 165 runs or more.

Oman vs Saudi Arabia Prediction

After more than a year, Saudi Arabia returns to T20 cricket. Most of the players have little experience playing competitive cricket, and they must punch above their weight to win here. Oman has experienced players who play in their own country. They have a strong spin bowling attack, making them the favorite to win this game. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

Oman is the favourite to beat Saudi Arabia at the odds of 1.09.