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Date: 21st October 2021

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 1), Al Amerat

Preview: The group stages of T20 World Cup 2021 is approaching an end and Group B is poised very interestingly ahead of the final matchday. Oman are set to lock horns with Scotland in what could be a virtual knockout match for both teams. A win for Scotland, who are at 4 points, will assure them a top spot in the group but a defeat could also result in their elimination if Bangladesh also wins their match. With two spots up for grabs and three teams fighting out, the Oman vs Scotland contest is certainly one to watch out for on Thursday.

Head to head:

Pitch Report: It's been quite an exciting track provided in Oman as fans have witnessed a thrilling battle between bat and ball. There is assistance for both pace bowlers and spinners and batting has proved to be quite challenging. A 160-run total in the first innings has proven to be quite competitive so far, which is something both sides would be looking to achieve if they bat first on Thursday. Although Oman are more adept to these conditions, Scotland's balance in the side gives them a slight edge over their opponents to thrive on the tricky wicket in Al Amerat.

Team Analysis:

Oman - The home side have played some exciting cricket so far but they will need to come up with a miraculous performance to go through to Super 12. They began their campaign with an utterly dominating all-round display and were in a decent position against Bangladesh before a batting collapse resulted in a 26-run loss for them. Jatinder Singh has been phenomenal for them at top of the order while Bilal Khan has also looked rather impressive with the ball in hand. However, they will need contributions from all their 11 players if they have to overcome the Scotland challenge.

Scotland - 2 wins in the first 2 matches have put Scotland in a very formidable position to finish at top of the standings in Group B. They have been sensational with both bat and ball and are looking like an X-Factor team to watch out for. With players like Chris Greaves, Richie Berrington and Josh Davey chipping in with some valuable contributions, they have a very solid unit at their disposal. Although their impressive middle-order has come to the rescue in both the matches so far, the top-order remains a slight cause of concern for Scotland.

Squads:

Oman - Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Jatinder Singh, Khawar Ali, Aqib Ilyas, Kashyap Prajapati, Naseem Khushi (wk), Mohammad Nadeem, Ayan Khan, Sandeep Goud, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, Khurram Nawaz, Fayyaz Butt, Suraj Kumar, Nestor Dhamba, Sufyan Mehmood

Scotland - Kyle Coetzer (c), Richard Berrington, Dylan Budge, Matthew Cross (wk), Josh Davey, Ally Evans, Chris Greaves, Michael Leask, Calum Macleod, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Hamza Tahir, Craig Wallace, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.

Conclusion: Considering the recent form and head-to-head record between the two sides, Scotland are clear favourites going into this contest. Kyle Coetzer's side have a much-more balanced unit and they will be raring to finish at top of Group B with a win in this contest. Oman will certainly need to produce a performance out of their skins to inflict an upset.

Match Prediction:

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed within this article is the author's personal point of view. They neither reflect the opinion of SportsTiger nor advise anyone to make any prediction based on it. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.