Match info Live Scorecard Squads Overs Highlights

285/5 (48.1)

CR : 5.92

281/7 (50.0)

CR : 5.62

Oman won by 5 wickets 🏆

Scorers are level!!!!! Oman players are on their feet in the dugout to celebrate their victory.

Over 48

Oman 281/5

Mohammad Nadeem46(53)

Shoaib Khan15(16)

George Dockrell1-38(6.0)

48.1

M Adair to S Khan

FOURRRRR!! And there it is!! Here are the winning runs from the bat of Shoaib Khan and the ball scurries towards the boundary ropes. This is history!! Whatever you are doing, stop it and appreciate the spirit that the Zeeshan Maqsood-led side carried. Full and wide outside the off. Khan slices along the ground with hard hands and the ball pierces through the gaps through square on the offside and reaches the ropes in a flurry. They have initiated the competition with a victory and have defeated ICC's full-member side.🔥

OMA won by 5 wickets

20:10 IST| Shoaib Khan finishes off in style!!!!!! Oman players are on their feet, and enjoying the sweet victory. First upset of the World 🌎 Cup Qualifier 2023.Oman 🇴🇲 comprehensively won this game by beating Ireland 🇨🇮. They have chased down a total of 282 runs in 48.1 overs with 5 wickets in hand.

While chasing a target of 282 runs, Oman was put under pressure right away as Mark Adair got rid of Jatinder Singh in the 4th over. Credit goes to the duo of Kashyap Prajapati and Aqib Ilyas Sulehri. This duo didn't let the pressure pile up and kept the run rate ticking. They stitched a partnership of 94 runs for the second wicket. Aqib Ilyas departed after scoring 52 runs off just 49 balls.

Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood joined Kashyap Prajapati in the middle. At one point it looked like It Ireland might bounce back after scalping the wicket of Aqib but the skipper had all different plans. He took the charge straightaway and kept the Irish bowlers under the pump. Oman batters played maturely today, they kept on gluing important partnerships in the middle overs and didn't let the game drift away from them.

Skipper Maqsood forged a partnership of 63 runs with Prajapati for the 3rd wicket. Kashyap Prajapati departed after playing a splendid knock of 72 runs. Irish bowlers failed to put a break on the runs, Oman batters were just knocking the ball into the gaps and stealing easy singles. Zeeshan Maqsood(59 runs) walked back after playing a captain's knock. The onus was on Mohammad Nadeem to take his team over the line and he did it for his team. He stayed unbeaten on 46* runs and took his team over the line with ease.

As the game progressed the surface got flat and came easier to bat on. Irish bowlers failed to trouble the Oman batters with the ball in hand. Apart from Joshua Little, all the other bowlers looked a tad off-color. Joshua Little scalped a couple of wickets in his 10-over spell. Mark Adair scalped a couple of wickets too. But it didn't go Ireland's way today.

Earlier in the game, Oman won the toss and invited Ireland to bat first. The surface was two-paced and scoring runs was difficult on this pitch. A magnificent knock by George Dockrell of 91* runs and resilient innings of 52 runs by Harry Tector helped Ireland to get to a total of 281 runs. Bilal Khan and Fayyaz Butt scalped a couple of wickets each for Oman.

Oman has started their World Cup Qualifiers campaign with a victory, over Ireland who were favorites before the game.

Zeeshan Maqsood: Player of the Match

Zeeshan Maqsood (Player of the Match/Oman Captain): "Yeah, first of all, I would like to thank the almighty. It was great to be back there. It goes to teammates, organizers, everybody, and family. It was painful when I got out. I like to finish the game and then come out.

I think the wicket played very well in the second half. That is my style to take time and then go. I was in good form and quite happy to take my team home."

Andrew Balbirnie(Ireland Captain): Yeah very disappointed. We wanted to start on a high note but we failed to do it. At the halfway stage we felt like we got to the par score but I think we fell short by 20 runs. Like 280 runs in the ODI cricket are good, to be honest, but it didn't go our way today. Yeah, we failed to knock the balls for the singles in the middle over like Oman batters did and the surface was also two-paced in the first innings but we can't complain about that.

Oman's victory didn't take us by surprise, it is a long tournament and we need to get back quickly. We need to work on a few things. Ben did a pretty good job, making a debut in the world cup qualifiers is not an easy task, he will get better and better he is a talented guy."

Zeeshan Maqsood (Oman Captain): "It's an honor for me. We played the first ODI against Ireland, a Test side and we love to enjoy this moment, as a player and as a leader. Definitely, to start with a win against a Test nation, it is a big thing. If we continue with this, it would be a good result for us.

Yeah definitely, it's like a collective and combined performance. So, definitely, we are looking forward to play the moment.

Yes I am, we are and that is why we came here [on reaching India for the World Cup], and that is our aim."

That brings us to the end of the coverage of the match between Oman and Ireland. It was Oman's day today as they sneaked away with a victory and they have started their World Cup Qualifier campaign with a victory.

Do join us for all the upcoming games from all around the globe. For now, it's me Hitesh Peddurwar signing off along with my esteemed co-commentator Arijit Kundu and scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer .....Until then stay safe...