As part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup, which they are co-hosting with the UAE in October-November, Oman has shown interest in hosting Mumbai for a series of T20 matches in the second half of August.
The proposal is thought to have come from Oman’s chief development officer, Duleep Mendis. They are expecting a response from the Mumbai Cricket Association, which is expected to meet this week to discuss the situation.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, Oman hasn’t played a competitive game. In the lead-up to their second consecutive appearance at the T20 World Cup, they’ve had to make do with camps and intra-squad games.
During the previous edition in India in 2016, Oman defeated Ireland to win the tournament for the first time. They are in Group B of the qualifying phase of the tournament, which will be held in Muscat, alongside Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland. To advance to the Super 12 stage of the competition, they must finish in the top two of their group.
“It’s still on the table,” an MCA official told ESPNcricinfo. “We’re waiting for further facts and rules before we can examine the proposal.” “It’s a good chance to get in a few pre-season games before the domestic season starts.”
Mumbai, India’s domestic 50-overs champions, will be without their IPL-bound stars if the tour goes through. Regular captain Shreyas Iyer, stand-in captain Prithvi Shaw, and experienced players Aditya Tare, Suryakumar Yadav, and Dhawan Kulkarni are among the participants.
However, it will be an opportunity for new coach Amol Muzumdar to assess the team’s bench strength ahead of India’s domestic season, which begins in September with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s.