Uganda Qualifies for the ICC T20 World Cup and becomes the fifth African nation to take part in ICC World Cup.
Securing five victories in six matches, Uganda ensured a top-two finish in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier, securing their spot in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA.
This milestone marks Uganda’s debut in any ICC World Cup event.
During the qualifiers, Uganda started strong by comfortably defeating Tanzania by eight wickets in their opening match. However, a brilliant performance by Namibian all-rounder David Wiese, who claimed 4/17, led to Uganda’s six-wicket loss in the next game.
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Undeterred, the team bounced back impressively, triumphing over Test-playing Zimbabwe by five wickets. Captain Sikandar Raza’s unbeaten 48 showcased his skill, but Uganda’s bowling, led by Dinesh Nakrani (3/14), restricted Zimbabwe to 136/7.
In their chase, Riazat Ali Shah (42) and Alpesh Ramjani (40) guided the Cricket Cranes to a surprising victory, securing it with five wickets in hand.
Boosted by this success, Uganda triumphed over Nigeria and secured a 33-run win over Kenya, positioning themselves strongly for the T20 World Cup.
Their spot was sealed with a comfortable nine-wicket win over Rwanda. Uganda’s exceptional bowling dismissed Rwanda for a mere 65, and the target was chased down by the ninth over.
In contrast, Zimbabwe, facing defeats against Namibia and Uganda, missed the chance to qualify for the T20 event. Despite their memorable one-run win over Pakistan in the previous edition, Zimbabwe couldn’t secure qualification this time around.