All-Omani squad will rise to challenge at Asian Games Qualifier, says Sufyan

Muscat: The first continental appearance of the all-Omani squad in the Asian Games Men’s Qualifier in Singapore will be a testing ground of Oman Cricket’s development strategy giving focus to the homegrown talent.
The T20I qualifiers, featuring 13 nations, will be held from May 31 to June 9.
Oman captain Sufyan Mehmood is confident that his 14-member squad will rise to the occasion to clinch an Asian Games berth.
“Except me, Shoaib al Balushi and Issa al Balushi most of the others are new to the international level. The key for the team will be our adaptability to the pressure of the international level. I’m confident our young squad will tackle the pressure to get us the results,” Sufyan told Oman Observer.
The Oman all-rounder, who had featured in three T20 World Cups (India 2016, Oman 2021 and India-Sri Lanka 2026), said the Sultanate of Oman have very good chances of clinching the qualification spot for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
“The players are working hard in the nets to achieve the qualification berth. The youngsters are talented and fearless and we are confident to make the mark,” Sufyan, who bowls medium pace, said.
Talking about Oman’s chances in their group, the Oman skipper said they are not taking any team lightly but fully focused on their job.
“We want to focus on our strengths and we are confident to get through from Group B, which consists of hosts Singapore and Maldives as our challengers.”
Sufyan thanked Oman Cricket for his overall development as a cricketer along with his personal sponsors New Height Real Estate and Amtur Gold.
Oman begin their Group B campaign against Maldives on June 1 before facing hosts Singapore on June 3.
Under the tournament format, the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals, with the four winners progressing to the semifinals and securing qualification for the Asian Games.
FOUR SPOTS
Apart from Oman, Maldives and Singapore in Group B, the other teams competing for four qualification spots at the Asian Games 2026 are Nepal, Thailand and Indonesia (Group A); Hong Kong, Bahrain and South Korea (Group C); and Malaysia, Qatar, China and Uzbekistan (Group D).
The top four teams from the qualifiers will join defending champions India, along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and hosts Japan at the Asian Games, scheduled from September 17 to October 3.
The team, coached by former Oman skipper Sultan Ahmed, will depart in the final week of May and arrive early in Singapore to acclimatise to conditions and play preparatory matches ahead of the tournament.
The team has been prepared through Oman Cricket’s all-Omani team project launched in March 2025.
The squad has already gained valuable exposure through a bilateral series against Bahrain last year, where Oman suffered a 2-1 defeat.
Oman squad: Sufyan Mehmood (captain), Muzaffar Shiralkar (vice-captain), Mohammed Al Balushi, Shoaib Al Balushi, Zubair Al Balushi, Abdul Jalil, Issa Al Balushi, Samir Yousuf, Naveed Al Balushi, Ahmed Al Zadjali, Wasim Al Balushi, Faris Al Balushi, Rashad Al Balushi, Munthir Al Balushi.
Support staff: Coach Sultan Ahmed, assistant coach Parviz Al Balushi, manager Said Haider Al Balushi, physiotherapist Saravanan.