Uganda has achieved a historic milestone, securing qualification for a senior ICC World Cup for the first time. The 20-team lineup for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, set to be hosted in the USA and West Indies, has now been finalized.
Uganda’s qualification was confirmed after they defeated Rwanda by nine wickets in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa qualifier. This victory ensured a top-two finish for Uganda, officially securing their place in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies. It marks their inaugural appearance in a senior ICC World Cup.
Uganda joins Namibia, also from the Africa qualifier, in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which features 20 teams for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The comprehensive list of qualified teams for the event includes Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, India, Ireland, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Uganda, and the United States of America (USA).
Before their historic win, Uganda had secured victories in four out of five fixtures, defeating Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Kenya. Their only setback came against co-qualifiers Namibia, who maintained an unbeaten record in the tournament.
In the crucial match against Rwanda, Uganda’s Alpesh Ramjani, Brian Masaba, Henry Ssenyondo, and Dinesh Nakrani each took two wickets, restricting Rwanda to 65 in 18.5 overs after choosing to bat first. Uganda successfully chased down the target in 8.1 overs with 71 balls to spare, thanks to impressive batting performances from Simon Ssesazi (26 from 21 deliveries), Ronak Patel (18 off 20), and Roger Mukasa (13 off 8).
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will feature 20 teams, divided into four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Eight phase, where the remaining teams will be split into two groups of four. The top two from each group will advance to the semi-finals, followed by the ultimate final showdown.
