Oman captain Aqib Ilyas pulled off an acrobatic effort to dismiss Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell in the first league game of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.
Following a poor Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, Maxwell was keen to make a strong start in the multi-nation tournament. He crafted a cover drive in the very first delivery he faced off Mehran Khan. The right-handed batter managed to find a good connection but not the gap. Ilyas, who was fielding inside the 30-yard circle, came up with a full-stretch dive, sensing an opportunity for a low catch. He jumped to his left and the ball went straight into his hands. A clip of the exceptional catch was later dropped on Instagram by the ICC with the title – “An absolute stunner.”
View this post on Instagram
Maxwell returned to the pavilion for a golden duck in the ninth over, with Australia reeling at 50/3. Before taking the crucial wicket of Maxwell, Oman pacer Mehran Khan dismissed Mitchell Marsh in the same over. The Australian captain scored 14 off 21 balls, striking two boundaries. Opener Travis Head also failed to survive long and lost his wicket to Bilal Khan at 12 runs in the third over.
Despite the early departure of his opening partner, David Warner enjoyed a great outing with the bat against Oman. The veteran opener notched a brilliant fifty and his 56-run knock was laced with six fours and a six.
Following the dismissal of Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis arrived at the crease, joining hands with Warner. The duo stitched a 102-run partnership, helping Australia breach the 150 mark in the 19th over. Stoinish whacked as many as six maximums and two fours to score 67 off 36 balls. Tim David chipped in with a 9-run cameo as Australia folded their innings at 165.
Oman faced a batting collapse during the chase and lost six wickets at just 57 runs. Ayan Khan and Mehran Khan made some efforts, scoring 36 and 27 runs respectively, but it was not enough to revive the innings. Oman ultimately fell 39 runs short of the target, losing nine wickets in 20 overs.
Stay updated with the latest from T20 World Cup 2024. Explore T20 World Cup Match Today. Check Updated list of Highest-run getters and Highest Wicket-Takers In T20 World Cup 2024. Check T20 World Cup 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours , Most Fifties And Most HundredsIn T20 World Cup 2024.