East African nations Rwanda and Kenya have defeated Botswana and Ivory Coast, respectively, to progress to the Africa Final Qualifier of the 2027 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The marquee final fixture of the tournament lived up to every ounce of its billing, with Rwanda edging hosts Botswana by just 2 runs in a heart-stopping thriller at BCA Oval 1.
The victory capped off an unbeaten campaign for Rwanda, confirming their place at the top of the table.
Batting first, Rwanda were restricted to 117/8 from their 20 overs by a sustained Botswana bowling effort. Hamza Khan top-scored with 23 runs, followed by Oscar Manishimwe with 21, and captain Didier Ndikubwimana, who chipped in with 19.
Brandon Van Zyl was the pick of the Botswana bowlers, claiming 3 wickets for 23 runs in his 4 overs. Dhruvkumar Maisuria took 2 for 11, while Boemo Kgosiemang, Nabil Master, and Katlo Piet claimed a wicket apiece in a fine team effort.
In reply, Botswana’s chase was anchored by captain Karabo Motlhanka, who batted with great composure for his 40 runs off 38 balls. However, Rwanda’s bowlers struck at regular intervals, with Yves Cyusa and Martin Akayezu leading the charge with two wickets each.
With the match hanging in the balance, Dhruvkumar Maisuria launched a remarkable late assault, blasting an unbeaten 16 runs off just 5 balls to keep Botswana’s hopes alive until the very last delivery. Ultimately, they fell agonizingly short, losing by just two runs.
Kenya ease past Ivory Coast to finish second
Meanwhile, Kenya produced a clinical performance, bowling out Côte d’Ivoire for just 18 runs before chasing down the target in 1.4 overs. The 9-wicket victory at BCA Oval 2 effectively sealed their qualification.
Asked to bat first, Côte d’Ivoire were dismantled by a Kenyan bowling attack that produced one of the greatest Associate-cricket bowling displays in recent memory.
Gerard Mwendwa was simply phenomenal, returning extraordinary figures of 4 wickets for 2 runs from his 4 overs, including 3 maidens, finishing with an economy rate of just 0.50.
Kenya’s chase was little more than a formality. Sukhdeep Singh blasted an unbeaten 10 runs off four balls, and Nitish Hirani finished unbeaten on 2 runs as Kenya reached 19/1 in just 10 balls to secure the most emphatic victory of the tournament.
