T20 World Cup 2026: Australia is not doing well; it is the best time to crush them, says Oman captain Jatinder Singh

Oman captain Jatinder Singh feels that his team has a chance to trump the down-and-out Australian side in the last group-stage fixture of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Australia have had a disastrous campaign ever since the 67-run win over Ireland in their tournament opener, as losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in the subsequent matches have culminated in an embarrassing group-stage exit – only the second time Australia have endured such fate since 2009.

The bottom-placed Oman, meanwhile, have fared even worse, with convincing defeats to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Ireland. Oman were also thrashed by Australia in the only meeting between the two teams, at the 2024 edition. But Jatinder believes that this could be the “best time to crush them.”

“One hundred percent this is an opportunity,” Jatinder said ahead of the match in Pallekele. “And our boys are looking forward to it. Because T20 is a game of momentum and the moments, and if you play those moments right, you can do anything on that particular day. Australia is not doing well at the moment… it is the best time to crush them. The boys are really positive. They are looking forward to the match against Australia to make their mark.”

Asked how Oman could be equipped to compete with stronger teams, Jatinder reckoned that franchise cricket and more game time could be the methods to “fill the gap”. Oman played only 15 T20Is and eight ODIs in 2025.

“Well, if I have to sum up [how Oman can improve], it would be if we have the franchise cricket happening in the country or our guys get a chance to play franchise cricket elsewhere,” Jatinder said. “I think we can fill that gap and they can bring vast amount of experience for our national team.

“But if we don’t get to play competitive cricket, whereas other teams are getting to play competitive cricket, we will need to fill that gap. There have been instances where we’ve been inviting the teams to come and play in Oman. The response has been really delayed, or we don’t get any response. So, I think if we have the franchise cricket, that would really fill the gap.”