NEW DELHI: After eight long months of waiting, fast bowler Arshdeep Singh finally became the first Indian to reach 100 T20I wickets. The left-arm pacer, who made his international T20 debut against England in 2022, has been consistently picking up wickets at a rapid pace.

Arshdeep had been stuck on 99 wickets since India rested him for the last two T20Is against England in January 2025. With no T20Is scheduled before the Asia Cup, he had to wait patiently to achieve the milestone.

Even in the Asia Cup, he wasn't immediately included, as India opted for only one specialist pacer in the first two games, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the attack alongside a strong spin contingent. Arshdeep finally got his opportunity in India's third group-stage match, finishing with figures of 4-0-37-1.

By claiming his 100th wicket, Arshdeep not only became the first Indian to reach the landmark but also set a record as the fastest seamer to 100 T20I wickets, achieving it in just 64 matches. Among all full-member nations, he is the third-fastest to 100 T20I wickets, trailing only Rashid Khan (53 matches) and Wanindu Hasaranga (63 matches).

Among pacers from full-member nations, Arshdeep remains the quickest to the milestone, ahead of Haris Rauf (71 matches) and Mark Adair (72 matches).

In the match, a spirited Oman fought hard with the bat but ultimately fell short by 21 runs while chasing 189.

India's bowling unit, without Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, wasn’t at its best, but managed to keep Oman in check during the final overs, restricting them to 167/4 in their 20 overs.