Oman have unveiled Aqib Ilyas as their new captain while naming the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June. Ilyas replaces Zeeshan Maqsood, who had led the team since the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Oman have otherwise been consistent in their selection with Shoaib Khan being the only player who was not part of the side in the ACC Premier Cup 2024 that took place in April. Opening batter, Jatinder Singh, and legspinner Samay Shrivastav could not find a place in the 15-man squad but are among the reserves alongside Sufyan Mehmood and Jay Odedra.
Kashyap Prajapati and Naseem Khushi are likely to open the batting with Ilyas and Zeeshan following them at No. 3 and 4 respectively. Wicketkeeper Pratik Athavale and Ayaan Khan are their middle-order options with the bat.
Bilal Khan, renowned for his yorkers, will spearhead their bowling attack which features right-arm pacers Kaleemullah and Fayyaz Butt along with left-arm fingerspinner Shakeel Ahmad in the mix. Ilyas (slow Left arm orthodox) and Zeeshan (legspin) can chip in with the ball as well.
Speaking of the squad and his new appointment, Ilyas said "I am truly honoured to be entrusted with the captaincy. It's a huge responsibility, and I aim to lead the team to many victories. We are preparing rigorously for the World Cup, and the recent ACC Premier Cup has provided us with invaluable preparation."
Oman had co-hosted the tournament in 2021 with the UAE and were not able to qualify for the group stage in the 2022 edition. They are part of Group B in the upcoming edition alongside Australia, England, Namibia and Scotland. They begin their campaign against Namibia on June 2 in Barbados.
Oman squad: Aqib Ilyas (capt), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale (wk), Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi (wk), Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad.
Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra