Entebbe, Uganda | July 19, 2025 – In his captaincy debut series – the ongoing Pearl of Africa (POA) T20 Series at the scenic Entebbe Oval – Juma Miyaji is scripting a fairytale story that many seasoned skippers can only dream of. Two wins in two days tell the tale. From winning both crucial tosses to executing brave decisions under pressure, Miyaji has incisively led Team Uganda to victory; first with a commanding 77-run (DLS Method) win over Nigeria on Friday, followed by a tense 6-run triumph over United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday evening, cheered on by a small but vociferous home crowd.
Match Summary – Game 2
Uganda: 126/9 in 20 overs (R Dhawan 44, S Mangela 39, A Ramjani 21*; M Rohid 3/23, Z Zubair 2/15)
UAE: 120/8 in 20 overs (M Waseem 33, M Zohaib 24, J Miyaji 3/28, D Nakrani 2/22, A Ramjani 1/17)
Result: Uganda won by 6 runs
Player of the Match: Alpesh Ramjani – 21* (12), 1/17 in 4 overs
Next Match: Uganda vs. Kenya (Migingo Derby) – Monday July 21, 1:30 PM, Entebbe
Ranked No.22 in the ICC T20I standings, Uganda showed immense grit after captain Miyaji won the toss and elected to bat first. Despite losing Ronald Lutaaya for a golden duck, Raghav Dhawan (44) and Shrideep Mangela (39) steadied the innings, taking Uganda to 79/2 by the 13th over. Ramjani provided late fireworks with an unbeaten 21 off 12 balls to push Uganda to a modest but competitive total of 126/9.
In reply, No.13-ranked UAE raced to 55 without loss inside the 8th over, with their captain Muhammad Waseem (33) and fellow opener Muhammad Zohaib (24) cruising. But Miyaji weaved his magic, introducing all-rounder Dinesh Nakrani as third-change bowler to break the stand – Nakrani castling Waseem before Miyaji himself ran out Zohaib shortly after.
Those two dismissals shifted momentum. UAE threatened through Asif Khan and Zuhaib Zubair’s cameos of 15 runs apiece, but Uganda’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding – including two run outs – strangled the chase. Miyaji led from the front with figures of 3/28, supported by Nakrani’s 2/22, tight spells from Player of the Match Alpesh Ramjani (1/17) and veteran Frank Nsubuga (0/22). UAE finished at 120/8, falling six runs short despite Zubair’s valiant 15 off 6 balls in the death overs.
Uganda’s coaches Abhay Sharma and Jackson Ogwang praised the team’s fighting spirit but urged sharper execution ahead of Monday’s Migingo Derby against eternal rivals Kenya. “We must keep our focus. Every match here is crucial preparation for the World Cup Qualifier,” said Ogwang.
With two wins in as many games, the Cricket Cranes have picked up valuable ranking points and remain unbeaten alongside Namibia A.
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