'It is the best time to crush': Oman captain fires up team against struggling Australia

Oman captain Jatinder Singh exuded confidence ahead of his side’s final group-stage clash against Australia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Speaking to ICC, Singh said, "It is the best time to crush" the struggling Australian side. The 2021 T20 World Cup champions, Australia, had been tipped as favourites before the tournament but have struggled to find form. After a narrow victory over Ireland in their opening match, the Mitchell Marsh-led team suffered back-to-back defeats, losing to Zimbabwe by 23 runs and co-host Sri Lanka by eight wickets. These results have already ruled them out of the Super 8 stage. Oman, too, have been eliminated from the tournament and are yet to register a win. But Singh stressed that T20 cricket is all about momentum and making the most of key moments, which his team hopes to capitalise on against a faltering Australian side. "It is an opportunity. And our boys are looking forward to it. Because T20, it's a game of momentum and the moments. If you, I think, play those moments right, you can do anything on that particular day. So Australia is not doing well at the moment," Singh said. Despite their early exit, Singh emphasised that the Omani squad remains upbeat and determined to leave a mark in their last game. "Even they are also out of the tournament. So the mood in the camp is that the boys are really positive because we tried to play better cricket, but unfortunately, things were not in our favour. But I believe boys are looking forward to the next game against Australia and make a mark," he added. Australia have now won just one of their three group matches and are already out of contention for the Super 8s.