DUBAI: The United States completed a 3-0 whitewash against Oman in the three-match T20I series, clinching the clean sweep with a dominant eight-wicket victory in the final match held at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Al Amerat on Sunday. Despite a valiant half-century from Oman’s captain Jatinder Singh, the USA proved to be too strong for Oman, who struggled to set a challenging total throughout the series. The visitors’ clinical performance in all three matches left Oman with little room to recover.
Oman’s struggles began early in the final match after they were put in to bat. Their batting line-up collapsed quickly, and by the third over, they were already at a perilous 6/3. The powerplay yielded just 34 runs, and by the eighth over, Oman was reeling at 45/4. Despite this, Jatinder Singh’s resilience with a 51-run knock helped stabilize the innings and provided some hope for a recovery. Singh’s effort also made history, as he became Oman’s highest T20I run-scorer, surpassing Zeeshan Maqsood’s record with 1,399 runs. However, the lower order failed to capitalize on Singh’s performance, and Oman was bowled out for a modest 123 in their 20 overs.
In response, the USA made quick work of the target, chasing it down in just 15.1 overs. Their openers, Andries Gous and Milind Kumar, provided a solid foundation with a 64-run partnership for the second wicket. Kumar led the charge with a match-winning 56, including four boundaries and three sixes. He brought up the winning runs with a six, and alongside Aaron Jones (20), the USA sealed the series with a comfortable victory, finishing at 127/2. This result capped off a commanding performance by the USA throughout the series.
Earlier in the series, the USA had already taken a commanding 2-0 lead, winning the first two matches. In the opening match, Oman set a competitive total of 190/5, with Aamir Kaleem contributing an impressive 72. However, USA’s Saiteja Mukkamalla responded with an explosive 100* off 48 balls, leading the USA to a seven-wicket win. In the second match, Oman once again batted first but was restricted to 141/9, with Jatinder Singh’s 57 being the highlight. Despite early setbacks in the chase, Monank Patel’s 73* and Aaron Jones’ 35 guided the USA to a four-wicket victory, completing their dominant series win.
