Sunday 08 / March / 2026
MUSCAT: Oman’s women cricketers are enjoying a remarkable run, turning strong performances into historic milestones and pushing the national side firmly onto the regional stage.
A string of victories, record-breaking individual feats and a sharp climb in the global rankings have marked the past year as a defining period for the team.
The numbers tell the story of a side in full flow. In 2025 alone, Oman won 10 of their 12 Women’s T20 Internationals, a run that established them as one of the most improved teams in associate women’s cricket. That momentum has carried seamlessly into 2026.
In February, Oman swept the four-match T20I series against Denmark 4-0 during Denmark’s tour of Oman before travelling to Doha where they secured a 4-1 victory over Qatar in a five-match series.
The Qatar tour was particularly significant as it marked the team’s first international tour in two years, with several players experiencing overseas competition for the first time.
These results have translated into a major leap in the rankings. Oman, who were outside the global standings and placed below 75th in 2024, have climbed to 36th in the Women’s T20I rankings, underlining the team’s rapid progress.
Much of the credit for this rise goes to the explosive form of Jayadhanyha Gunasekar, who has emerged as Oman’s standout performer.
Jayadhanyha created history by becoming the first Omani woman to score a century in a Women’s T20I, a milestone that highlighted the team’s growing batting strength. Her record century came against Denmark at Oman Cricket Academy grounds in Al Amerat on 6 February, 2026. Her unbeaten 101 came off 62 balls and included 11 boundaries and one maximum.
Her consistency has been equally impressive. With 774 runs in just 20 innings, she is Oman’s leading run-scorer and recently entered the global rankings for the first time, currently placed 77th among the world’s top 100 WT20I batters after being unranked until last year.
She is also ranked second in the world for highest career batting average in WT20Is behind Lucy Barnett of Isle of Man. Jayadhanyha's bating average is 48.37 while Barnett leads with 50.91.
Jayadhanyha’s success is part of a broader batting resurgence within the team. Two other players have also crossed the 500-run mark in WT20Is — Fiza Javed, who has amassed 621 runs in 35 innings, and Priyanka Mendonca, who has scored 576 runs in 36 innings — giving Oman a dependable core at the top of the order.
Head coach Desmond Berhardt believes the recent series victories have played a crucial role in building confidence within the squad. “Building on the momentum from December’s GCC Cup, the four-match series against Denmark provided a vital opportunity for continued competitive play,” he said.
“Our players maintained their excellent form, with a clean sweep against Denmark. Jayadhanyha was outstanding with the bat, securing strong starts in every game and scoring her maiden century.”
The Denmark series also saw key personal milestones: Priyanka and Hina Javed registered their first international half-centuries, while valuable contributions from Fiza, Trupti Pawde and Nitya Joshi strengthened the batting effort.
The bowling unit matched the batters’ consistency, with every player managing to claim wickets during the series. The matches also offered a glimpse of emerging talent, as two debutants were introduced — Kushi Egodagamage, who impressed with three wickets, and Amishi Sarkar, who took over wicketkeeping duties in the final game.
Berhardt said: “The tour of Qatar provided a sterner test. Played across five matches in six days, the tightly contested series saw three games decided in the final over, demanding both mental resilience and physical endurance from the squad.”
Oman emerged series winners, with Jayadhanyha once again leading the charge to earn Player of the Tournament honours.
Strong batting displays also came from Nitya, Fiza, Priyanka and Sameera Khan, while Oman’s spin attack proved particularly effective on the slow Doha wickets. Priyanka, Fiza, Jayadhanyha, Amanda DCosta and Sushanthika Ashok combined to keep constant pressure on the opposition through disciplined spells.
Even with limited assistance for pace bowlers, Afida Aftab, Alifia Sayed and Sameera maintained tight lines and lengths while experimenting with variations.
For Berhardt, the biggest takeaway from the tour was the development of the players themselves. “The players have returned from this tour as more mature and confident cricketers,” he said.
“I would like to thank Oman Cricket and Qatar Cricket for providing this platform for our players to showcase their talent and we look forward to building on this excellence in the year ahead," he added.
