Kaleem, bowlers help Oman take down Sri Lanka A
Kaleem made 80 off 47 on a pitch where his team-mates struggled to help Oman chase 146
ESPNcricinfo staff
03-Feb-2026 • 3 hrs ago
Aamir Kaleem made 80 off 47 • Getty Images
Oman 146 for 5 (Kaleem 80, Shukla 39*, Sahan 3-16) beat Sri Lanka A 145 for 9 (Sahan 29, Odedra 2-18, Faisal 2-21) by five wickets
Oman began their final preparations for the men's T20 World Cup 2026 with a win over Sri Lanka A in their first warm-up game in Colombo on Tuesday. The bowlers put on a disciplined display to restrict Sri Lanka A to 145 for 9 before the veteran Aamir Kaleem's 80 off 47 saw them complete the chase with two overs to spare.
Dulnith Sigera gave Sri Lanka A a good start after they won the toss, but left-arm quick Shah Faisal struck in the third over to remove Sineth Jayawardena. eft-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed accounted for Sigera in the next over. Faisal and Shakeel struck again in the powerplay to leave Sri Lanka A struggling on 49 for 4 after six overs.
Sahan Kosala and Kavija Gamage tried to steady the hosts, but left-arm wristspinner Nadeem Khan and offspinner Jay Odedra removed the set batters in the space of seven balls. Allrounder Wanuja Sahan counterattacked, but became Odedra's second victim on the day for 29 off 21, sandwiched between two run-outs.
Chamindu Wijesinghe's 13-ball 24 provided some late impetus, taking Sri Lanka A to 145.
Opener Kaleem then held Oman's innings together, even as the rest of their top five fell for single-digit scores. When Mohammad Nadeem fell in the 11th over, Oman's score was 78 for 4 and Kaleem's partners had just contributed 15 runs to that total.
However, Kaleem found a supporting hand in wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla, as the two added a 35-run stand. Kaleem was bowled by Sahan for 80, having hit eight fours and three sixes, but Shukla and Jiten Ramanandi ensured Oman got over the line. Shukla stayed unbeaten on 39 off 24, with three fours and two sixes.
