Muscat – The renewed edition of the Oman Cricket-owned Oman D50 concluded in thrilling fashion, with Yalla Shabab Giants successfully defending their title after defeating Royal Oman Stallions by 36 runs in the final at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.

The 18-day tournament featured six of Oman’s leading Premier Division sides competing in a single round-robin league, with the top two teams progressing to the final. Both Yalla Shabab Giants and Royal Oman Stallions finished the league stage with just one defeat, setting up a fitting contest between the two strongest sides of the competition.

Winning the toss, Yalla Shabab Giants, owned by Chaitanya Khimji, elected to bat first but were immediately put under pressure and lost both openers within the first two overs. Vinay Radha (24 off 56) and Ameer Zeeshan (17 off 43) steadied the innings with a cautious partnership before the Giants continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.

With Yalla Shabab Giants struggling at 64/7, experienced campaigner Zikriya Islam (43 off 55) joined forces with 14-year-old Shravan Kurup (51 off 88) to produce a crucial eighth-wicket partnership. Their valuable stand helped the defending champions recover and post a competitive 173 all out in 49.5 overs. Muhammed Nadeem was the pick of the Royal Oman Stallions bowlers with 3/32.

Royal Oman Stallions’ chase got off to a difficult start as they lost four wickets inside the opening ten overs. Usman Ali Afridi led the early attack with three wickets, while Yashas GL claimed one, leaving the Stallions under considerable pressure.

Sabin Raj attempted to revive the chase with an aggressive 46 off 30 balls, but the Stallions were unable to sustain the momentum. Further wickets from Zikriya Islam and Kamleshwaran A, who claimed two wickets apiece, saw Royal Oman Stallions bowled out for 137 in 32.1 overs, handing Yalla Shabab Giants a 36-run victory and back-to-back Oman D50 titles.

Zikriya Islam was named Player of the Match for his vital all-round contribution in the final.

Reflecting on the tournament, Mr. Duleep Mendis, Director – Cricket Operations & Chief Development Officer, Oman Cricket, said: “It was an excellent competition between six of the most competitive sides in Oman. We congratulate the players and management of Yalla Shabab Giants and Royal Oman Stallions on claiming the Champions and Runners-Up positions respectively. The Oman D50 has once again provided a strong platform for our domestic players to compete at a high level.”

At the closing ceremony, Pankaj Khimji, Chairman – Oman Cricket, along with Duleep Mendis, presented the individual and team awards.

Gowtham Sagar of Royal Oman Stallions was adjudged Player of the Tournament following an outstanding all-round campaign in which he accumulated 312 runs and claimed 8 wickets in six matches.