Baby Cricket Cranes Seek Redemption and World Cup Ticket in Rwanda
By Kayiira Jackson
Uganda’s U-19 cricket national team, the Baby Cricket Cranes, are set to begin their campaign in Kigali, Rwanda, with the ambition of securing a historic fourth appearance at the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The 14-man squad will depart for Rwanda ahead of the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier, scheduled for August 7–16, 2026, where Uganda’s immediate target is to regain Africa Division One status and keep alive their dream of returning to the global stage.
The team was flagged off on Thursday, 6, August 2026 at Lugogo by the National Council of Sports Assistant General Secretary (Technical) Milton Chebet.
Uganda heads into the tournament determined to bounce back after suffering relegation from Division One for the first time in the country’s history during the previous qualifiers held in Lagos, Nigeria.
The team has undergone a rigorous preparation programme, including three intensive training camps. The first camp was held in Fort Portal following last year’s Skyview Boys Schools Cricket Week, before the team held further residential camps in Kampala ahead of the Kigali assignment.
The squad also gained valuable match experience during the High-Performance Cup Series, where they defeated Rwanda U-19 and the Uganda Emerging XI to claim overall honours.
The team enters the qualifier with the objective of earning promotion back to Africa Division One and moving a step closer to another ICC U-19 World Cup appearance.
Head coach Grace Mutyagaba believes the team is ready for the challenge after months of preparation.
“The boys are ready for this challenge and have shown great enthusiasm throughout our preparations. We have spent the last few weeks working on key areas, especially improving our approach against spin, strengthening our combinations and building stronger batting and bowling partnerships,” Mutyagaba said.
Team captain Daniel Rubangakene believes Uganda’s batting depth will be one of the team’s biggest strengths in Kigali.
“Our biggest strength is our batting. We have players who can bat from number one all the way to number nine. We thank Cricket Uganda for the support, and we want to assure our fans that we shall fight to win every game in Kigali,” Rubangakene said.
Uganda has previously qualified for the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup three times — in 2004 (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 2006 (Colombo, Sri Lanka), and 2022 (West Indies).
The country’s best performance came during the 2022 tournament in the Caribbean, where the Baby Cricket Cranes defeated Scotland and finished 13th overall.
Uganda has also won the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier twice, in 2009 and 2021, while finishing runners-up on four occasions.
The Africa Division Two Qualifier in Rwanda will feature hosts Rwanda, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Uganda. The top two teams will qualify for the final Africa Division One Qualifier on the road to the 2028 ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Uganda U-19 squad to Kigali
Ronald Rubangakene
Samuel Ahaisibwe
Devansh Patel
Robert Owilli (Wicketkeeper)
Abraiz Ali
Richard Sohera
Daniel Rubangakene (Captain)
Jackson Asiku
Kenneth Isiko
Adam Kassim
Felix Ocham
Eric Mukisa
Larry Itagi
Hamidu Munigwa
Non-travelling reserves:
Ryan Agaba
Ben Solomon Mulindwa
Technical team:
Head Coach: Grace Mutyagaba
Assistant Coach: Jonathan Sebanja
Physiotherapist: Habiba Kulthum Anguyo
Analyst: Jeff Mwesigwa Kasozi
Media Manager: Ivan Cyprian Sajabi
Team Manager: Sylvester Rokani