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Australia Bowl First vs Oman in T20 WC Finale, Aim to End on Winning Note

Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first against Oman in their final T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match in Kandy. Captain Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment at missing the Super 8s but emphasized the desire to end the campaign with a victory. Oman captain Jatinder Singh welcomed the chance to bat first on a good track and highlighted the tournament as a valuable learning experience for his side. Both teams made several changes to their playing XIs for this dead rubber.

Key Points: Australia vs Oman T20 WC: Marsh Elects to Field in Final Match

  • Australia elect to field
  • One change: Renshaw in for Connolly
  • Oman make four changes
  • Both teams out of Super 8 contention
2 min read

T20 WC: Australia elect to field against Oman in last league match

Australia bowls first against Oman in their last T20 World Cup 2026 group match. Both captains discuss changes and lessons from the tournament.

"It is a disappointing group not making it to the Super 8s, but tonight is a World Cup fixture, and we want to finish with a win. - Mitchell Marsh"

Kandy, Feb 20

Australia won the toss and elected to field against Oman in the 40th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on Friday.

Australia have made a solitary change to their line-up, with Matt Renshaw drafted in to replace Cooper Connolly. Meanwhile, Oman have rung in multiple changes, bringing in Karan Sonavale, Wasim Ali, Jay Odedra, and Shafiq Jan, while Ashish Odedara, Nadeem Khan, and Sufyan Mehmood make way.

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said, "We are going to bowl first. It's a fresh wicket. We respect it. Things didn't go as planned for us as a team. We'll reflect on it and get better moving forward. It is a disappointing group not making it to the Super 8s, but tonight is a World Cup fixture, and we want to finish with a win. We have one change, Matt Renshaw comes in for Cooper Connolly."

Oman captain Jatinder Singh said, "Sir, we were looking to bat first as it looks like a wonderful track to bat on. I am happy with the toss result. I think this tournament has been a learning curve for us in our careers. We lacked a bit of experience and exposure, but I think the boys will take a lot of positives from this fixture, and we will bounce back stronger. It's an honour to play against Australia. Rarely do we get the opportunity to face a full member side. The boys are looking forward to it. We have made 4 changes. So, the guys who didn't get a chance to play in the previous game are all playing this game."

Playing XIs:

Oman: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Karan Sonavale, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Jiten Ramanandi, Jay Odedra, Shakeel Ahmed, Shafiq Jan

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Tim David, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Shreya B
Respect to Oman's captain for his humble and positive attitude. It's true, associate nations rarely get to play full members. This exposure is priceless for their growth. The spirit of cricket! 👏
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Aman W
Australia electing to field on a fresh wicket in Kandy makes sense. The pitch might do a bit early on. Smart captaincy from Marsh even if it's a dead rubber. Renshaw getting a game is interesting.
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Priyanka N
While I appreciate Oman's learning curve, making four changes in a World Cup game against Australia? Seems like they've already accepted defeat. Shouldn't they field their strongest XI for such a big occasion?
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Karthik V
The Australian team looks super strong on paper even with one change. Maxwell, Stoinis, Head... power hitters galore. Hope Oman's bowlers have a plan. Exciting match ahead!
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Michael C
Interesting to see the contrast in team changes. Australia tweaking, Oman overhauling. Shows the difference in squad depth and planning. Good for cricket that these matches are happening in Sri Lanka.

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