(ICC Photo)

Pratik Athavale, the wicketkeeper-batsman for Oman, attributed their 7-wicket loss against Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2024 to a lack of substantial partnerships. He emphasized that their failure to build strong partnerships ultimately led to their defeat in the match.

Pratik Athavale, the wicketkeeper-batsman for Oman, acknowledged that their 7-wicket defeat against Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2024 was a result of their inability to forge significant partnerships during the game.

Pratik emerged as the lone standout batsman for Oman, crafting a notable innings of 54 runs from 40 deliveries with a strike rate of 135. He showcased his prowess by striking 5 fours and 2 sixes during his time at the crease.

During the post-match press conference, Pratik remarked that they had control of the game when their batting was strong in the first innings.

“We were batting well earlier, we had the game in our hands. But we couldn’t have a good partnership, we had planned to have a partnership in between. But we couldn’t do it. We were losing wickets quickly. So, we could only target 150,” Pratik said.

He commended Scotland’s openers, George Munsey and Michael Jones, for their impressive performance in Antigua.

“I won’t say that the bowling wasn’t good. Actually, both their opening batsmen did good batting on that wicket. If we would not have missed those catches, we could have taken ourselves closer to the game. Anything could have happened then,” he added.

Regarding their upcoming match against England, the 27-year-old expressed their intention to approach the game with a positive mindset.

“Nothing. We will go with a positive intention. Because we have not won a single match in the tournament. So, we will try to do our best. As a team we are doing well and we will try to execute that plan,” he added.

Summarizing the match, Oman captain Aqib Ilyas won the toss and chose to bat. Wicketkeeper-batsman Pratik Athavale showcased a stylish half-century, guiding their team past the 100-run mark in 14 overs. Additionally, Ayaan Khan’s elegant innings propelled Oman to a total of 150/7 by the conclusion of the 20 overs.

Scotland’s Safyaan Sharif emerged as the standout bowler. In the run-chase, batters George Munsey and McMullen’s aggressive hitting revitalized Scotland’s chances. McMullen’s remarkable unbeaten 61-run innings propelled Scotland to a seven-wicket victory over Oman. Aqib Ilyas, Mehran Khan, and Bilal Khan each claimed a wicket for Oman.