🏏ICC T20 WC 2024 Namibia vs Oman @ Kensington Oval @6 AM IST🏏

🏏ICC T20 WC 2024: Match 3: Group B: Namibia vs Oman at Kensington Oval, Barbados on 03/06/2024 @ 6 am IST🏏

Namibia will take on Oman in the third match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The encounter will take place at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown in Barbados on Sunday.

Gerhard Erasmus will captain the Namibian side, while Aqib Ilyas will lead Oman.

Date and time: June 2; 8:30 pm Local/ 12:30 am GMT (June 3)/ 06:00 am IST

Kensington Oval is one of the finest grounds in international cricket, offering a perfectly balanced surface for T20 matches. Fast bowlers typically benefit from good bounce, while batters are able to produce high scores in the shortest format.

Captain winning the toss is most likely to bat first at this venue

Big picture

Playing in their third consecutive T20 World Cup, Namibia will be looking to build on impressive previous showings. In 2021, they had surprised many by qualifying for Super 12s - at the expense of Ireland and Netherlands - and in 2022 they beat Sri Lanka in the first round, but fell short of progressing.

They made it to T20 World Cup 2024 by dominating the Africa qualifier, winning all six of their games. With England and Australia also in their group, they will know that their best shot at the Super 8s involves beating Oman and Scotland and then pulling off an upset.

But Oman, their first opponents, could offer tough competition. When the two teams faced off in a five-match T20I series in April, Oman ran Namibia close, with Namibia eventually sealing a 3-2 win.

Oman, also making their third T20 World Cup appearance, come into the tournament with momentum on their side. They reached the ACC Premier Cup final, winning five games on the trot, although they lost to UAE in the final. They have a new captain for this World Cup, with Aqib Ilyas replacing the experienced Zeeshan Maqsood in the role.

Form guide

Namibia WWLLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)

Oman LWWWW

In the spotlight - David Wiese and Aqib Ilyas

David Wiese, one of the biggest reasons behind Namibia's impressive campaign in 2021, has since become a T20 globetrotter, playing in several franchise leagues including the IPL, the Hundred and the PSL. He has also played the CPL and MLC, giving him a feel of the conditions on offer by T20 World Cup's two hosts. Namibia would hope that the experience he has gained over the last few years will set him up for a good campaign, as he is key to their plans with bat and ball.

Aqib Ilyas, apart from being a top-order batter, is also a more-than-handy spinner. He was the leading wicket-taker in the ACC Premier Cup with 12 scalps from five matches at an economy of 6.22. In the series decider against Namibia, he picked up 2 for 21 from three overs and then struck a 29-ball 51 in an unsuccessful chase of 213. Namibia will be wary of the threat he poses, but how he deals with the added responsibility of leading the team will have to be seen.

I don't think I can do this

Mereko dusre teams ke players ke naam bhi nahi pata

Prediction ke liye playing 11 dekhne tak ka time nahi hain

Team news

Namibia could field an XI with as many as seven bowling options, while their potential No. 9 Ruben Trumpelmann is no mug with the bat.

Namibia (probable XI): 1 Nikolas Davin, 2 Jean-Pierre Kotze, 3 Michael van Lingen, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 JJ Smit, 6 David Wiese, 7 Jan Frylinck, 8 Zane Green (wk), 9 Ruben Trumpelmann, 10 Bernard Scholtz, 11 Ben Shikongo

Oman also have plenty of bowling options among their top- and middle-order batters. They could put out the same line-up that played in the final of the Premier Cup.

Oman (probable XI): 1 Kashyap Prajapati, 2 Naseem Khushi (wk), 3 Aqib Ilyas (capt), 4 Zeeshan Maqsood, 5 Pratik Athavale (wk), 6 Ayaan Khan, 7 Khalid Kail, 8 Shakeel Ahmad, 9 Rafiullah, 10 Fayyaz Butt, 11 Bilal Khan

Pitch and conditions

In the past, batters have found it difficult to score off spinners in Bridgetown. It's not a particularly high-scoring ground, and in 12 games at the venue since the start of 2022, the average first-innings score has been 178. Teams batting first have won eight of those 12 matches.

There is a 40% chance of rain, but it's not expected to last more than half an hour even if it does pour.

Stats that matter

• One of Namibia's many allrounders, their captain Gerhard Erasmus, has been in excellent bowling form. He has taken a wicket in eight of his last ten matches, and has not conceded more than run a ball in any of those games.
• Bilal Khan, Oman's 37-year-old fast bowler, had an economy rate of 4.45 from three matches in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
• Maqsood, Mehran Khan and Bilal are the only three players from Oman's squad in their first T20 World Cup campaign in 2016 to be part of this year's squad.

Oman, currently ranked 18th in the ICC T20I rankings, enter this match with newfound confidence after a series win (2-1) against Papua New Guinea. Their recent improvement in batting and a robust bowling performance in the last game against Namibia have bolstered their spirits. With the series tied at 1-1, Oman is poised for an intense showdown.

On the other hand, Namibia, ranked 13th in the ICC T20 Men’s rankings, demonstrated prowess with the ball but faltered in their batting performance in the previous match. After finishing as runners-up in the African Games 2024, Namibia is determined to clinch another victory in the upcoming clash and break the deadlock in the series.

Namibia’s chance of winning: 65%

Oman’s chance of winning: 35%

Oman vs Namibia Toss Prediction

Considering the pitch conditions at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, batting first would be advantageous as the wicket tends to slow down, favoring the bowlers as the match progresses.

Weather Report

With a temperature around 28 degrees Celsius and humidity around 40%, the weather forecast promises ideal conditions for an exhilarating game of cricket.

Oman vs Namibia Head-to-Head Record

In the T20 format, Namibia holds the upper hand, winning two out of the three encounters between the two sides.

• Oman won: 1

• Namibia won: 2

• No result/Abandoned: 0

Oman vs Namibia Top Performers

• Top batter for Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus

• Top batter for Oman: Pratik Athavale

• Top bowler for Namibia: Ruben Trumpelmann

• Top bowler for Oman: Fayyaz Butt

As both teams gear up to face each other, fans can expect an enthralling contest between bat and ball, with both sides vying for supremacy in this crucial encounter.

Top Picks for NAM vs OMA 11Wickets Fantasy Cricket

JJ Smit was quite impressive in the World T20 Cup 2021. He comes in handy with his all-rounder abilities. He can be a good pick for this match.

Ruben Trumpelmann is one of the key players of the Namibia team. His contributions will be crucial for the side. He can be the other good player to bank on for this game.

Jatinder Singh’s contributions at the top order will be pivotal for Oman. The team will pin a lot of hope on him to perform for the side.