Hosts Kenya will look to maintain their perfect start to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Sub Regional Africa Qualifier Group B campaign with a big win against the embattled Gambia at Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi today (October 22, 2024). (More Cricket News)
Kenya kicked off their campaign with a resounding 111-run (DLS method) win against Mozambique, set up by Rakep Patel's 120 off 55. In the rain-affected match at Ruaraka Sports Club Ground, skipper Shem Ngoche claimed three wickets (3/16) as Kenya restricted Mozambique to 76/8 in 16 overs.
The Warriors made it two in two with another facile win, this time by five wickets against Rwanda at the capital city's iconic Gymkhana Club Ground. Chasing a 101-run target, Kenya did wobble at the start, losing four wickets for 30 runs inside eight overs, but Irfan Karim (30 off 40) and Sachin Bhudia (39 off 21) ensured they cross the line with five overs to spare.
The Gambia, meanwhile, are yet to take the field in the sub-regional qualifiers thanks to shortage of players. Skipper Ismaila Tamba arrived in time for the captains' photoshoot at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, but most his team-mates failed to reach Kenya for the matches against Rwanda, the tournament opener, and Seychelles, the fifth match.
The Nation, a Kenyan publication, reported that the the remaining members of the Gambian squad have landed in Nairobi on Sunday night, two days after the start of the event. So, expect the Kenya vs Gambia match to go ahead.
The forfeitures left the Gambians fifth in the six-team table, only thanks to Mozambique's negative Net Run Rate (NRR) of -7.573.
Unbeaten Zimbabwe, with a stunning NRR of +10.892, lead the table ahead of Kenya (+4.397). Rwanda (-1.733) and Seychelles (-12.324) are third and fourth, respectively.
The top two teams from Group B will progress to the Africa regional final where they will compete against already qualified Namibia and Uganda, and four other teams (two each from Group A and C). Two teams from the Africa qualifiers will get to play in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Squads
Kenya: Shem Ngoche (c), Sachin Bhudia, Sachin Gill, Dhiren Gondaria, Irfan Karim (wk), Peter Langat, Neil Mugabe, Francis Mutua, Gerard Mwendwa, Lucas Oluoch, Rakep Patel, Rushab Patel, Vraj Patel, Pushkar Sharma.
The Gambia: Ismaila Tamba (c), Basiru Jaye, Asim Ashraf, Ousman Bah (wk), Frank Campbell, Andre Jarju, Baboucarr Jaye, Musa Jobarteh, Abubacarr Kuyateh, Muhammed Manga, Arjunsingh Rajpurohit, Gabriel Riley, Shan Siddiqui, Mustapha Suwareh.
Kenya vs Gambia Live Streaming Details
When and where is the Kenya vs Gambia, Africa sub-regional qualifier B match?
The Kenya vs Gambia match will take place on Tuesday, October 22 at the Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi from 4:20 PM IST.
Where to watch the Kenya vs Gambia, Africa sub-regional qualifier B match?
The said match will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
