Oman vs Samoa 1st Match Group 3, 2025: Preview, Analysis, Predictions

The 2025 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia & East Asia Pacific (EAP) Regional Final is underway in Oman. In the opening match of Group 3, the host nation, Oman vs Samoa, will be a crucial fixture to set the tone for qualification.

With just a few matches to decide who moves forward to the Super Six stage, every performance, margin, and momentum will matter.

While Oman enters this match as the favorites with experience and home conditions in their favour, Samoa will be eager to cause an upset and mark their presence in the qualifiers.

Read more predictions

Oman vs Samoa: Match Details

• Date: 8 October 2025
• Time: 10:00 AM local time (Oman)
• Venue: Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 1), Al Amerat, Oman
• Competition: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier, Regional Final
• Group: Group 3 (Oman, Samoa, Papua New Guinea)

Historical Context & Head-to-Head

Oman and Samoa have not faced off often in formal T20I competition, making this encounter their first real test against each other at this level.

Oman comes in with greater experience in global qualifiers, having played in ICC tournaments previously, while Samoa is relatively new on the big stage, qualifying through the East Asia Pacific sub-regional events.

This provides Samoa with the opportunity to test itself against a seasoned associate side.

Oman vs Samoa: Conditions, Venue & Pitch Behavior

Al Amerat’s Ministry Turf 1 ground often provides balanced conditions for bat and ball. In morning games, seamers can extract movement early on, while spinners generally find more assistance later in the day.

A par score here usually ranges between 160 to 175 runs. Winning the toss and bowling first could be a sensible choice due to the possibility of early assistance for fast bowlers.

Teams will need to adapt quickly to the pace of the surface, and batting partnerships will be key.

Team Form & Key Players

Oman

Oman enters the qualifier as one of the stronger sides among associate nations. They recently defeated Kuwait in a bilateral T20I series, which should give them confidence heading into this tournament.

Key players to watch:

• Aamir Kaleem: A dependable all-rounder who can impact the game with both bat and ball.
• Jatinder Singh: Experienced batter at the top who can anchor the innings.
• Shakeel Ahmed: A reliable spin option.
• Vinayak Shukla: Promising wicketkeeper-batter with recent good form.

Samoa

Samoa arrive through the East Asia Pacific qualification route and are looking to establish themselves on a bigger stage. They are underdogs in this contest, but can play freely with less pressure compared to Oman.

Possible key figures:

• Ross Taylor (if available in their squad), whose vast experience would boost the batting order.
• A mix of all-rounders and emerging pacers who could challenge Oman’s batting depth.

Probable XI

Oman (Probable 11):

1. Jatinder Singh
2. Aamir Kaleem
3. Vinayak Shukla (wk)
4. Hammad Mirza
5. Shakeel Ahmed
6. Mohammad Nadeem
7. Sufyan Mehmood
8. Jiten Ramanandi
9. Shah Faisal
10. Hassnain Shah
11. Zikria Islam

Samoa (Probable 11):

1. Top-order batter A
2. Top-order batter B
3. Ross Taylor (if included)
4. All-rounder 1
5. All-rounder 2
6. Wicketkeeper batter
7. Spinner 1
8. Medium pacer 1
9. Paceman 2
10. Spinner/medium pacer
11. Death overs bowler

Oman vs Samoa: Match Analysis & Outlook

Oman has a well-balanced squad with home advantage. Their batting depth and spin attack are likely to test Samoa heavily.

The key for Oman will be to avoid overconfidence and ensure partnerships are built steadily. Samoa, on the other hand, has little to lose and everything to gain.

If they can apply pressure with the ball in the power play and take early wickets, they could challenge Oman. However, their lack of exposure in such high-pressure qualifiers might work against them.

Oman vs Samoa: Prediction

Considering the experience, home advantage, and recent form, Oman are strong favourites to win this opening clash.

A victory by 30–40 runs or by 6–8 wickets is likely if they play to their strengths. Samoa will need an extraordinary effort to cause an upset.

FAQ’s