Aqib Ilyas named captain as Oman announce T20 World Cup squad

Muscat, May 1 – Batting all-rounder Aqib Ilyas has been named as Oman’s captain for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, beginning on June 1.

Ilyas was unveiled as skipper in the team’s squad announcement, with former captain Zeeshan Maqsood keeping his spot in the group. The 36-year-old deputised Sultan Ahmed in Oman’s T20 World Cup debut back in 2016, and led the side at the 2021 edition which they co-hosted with UAE.

“I am truly honoured to be entrusted with the captaincy,” Aqib was quoted as saying by ICC. “It’s a huge responsibility, and I aim to lead the team to many victories. We are preparing rigorously for the World Cup, and the recent ACC Premier Cup has provided us with invaluable preparation.”

Oman squad: Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale (wk), Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi (wk), Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad.

Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra