Uganda Bounce Back To Level T20 Series In Mumbai
Debutant wicketkeeper-batter Sarvesh Patil struck a composed half-century while Uganda’s bowlers delivered another disciplined display as the Cricket Cranes defeated MCA Colts XI by four wickets to draw level in the T20 series in Dahanu.
UGANDA’S TOUR OF MUMBAI
RESULT – GAME 2 – T20s
MCA Colts XI 133/9 (20 overs)
Naman Jhawar 33, Satyam Chaudhary 32; Tanvish Vaze 3/26, Enock Kasaija 2/25, Cosmas Kyewuta 1/18, Juma Miyaji 1/20, Siraje Nsubuga 1/30
Uganda XI 134/6 (19.2 overs)
Sarvesh Patil 54, Tanvish Vaze 38, Anas Baig 13; Dashrath Chavan 3/20, Satyam Chaudhary 2/22, Vijay Gohil 2/26
Result: Uganda XI won by 4 wickets
Player of the Match: Tanvish Vaze
T20 Series: Level at 1-1
NEXT FIXTURE — MAY 29, 2026
Uganda XI vs. Mumbai Colts XI
Adani Stadium, Dahanu – Maharashtra
T20 Match, 8:30am
DAHANU, PALGHAR DISTRICT. Uganda XI bounced back from their heartbreaking one-wicket defeat Mumbai Falcons by defeating MCA Colts XI by 4 wickets to level the Mumbai Tour T20 series at 1-1 on Wednesday at the Adani Stadium in Dahanu.
On a surface that again demanded discipline, patience and game awareness, the Cricket Cranes produced another sharp bowling display before surviving a nervy chase that exposed both encouraging growth and lingering batting concerns.
Tour debutant wicketkeeper-batter Sarvesh Patil anchored the chase superbly with 54 off 43 balls while Tanvish Vaze added an aggressive 38 off 25 deliveries as Uganda reached 134 for six with four balls remaining. Yet despite victory, both stand-in captain Henry Ssenyondo and coach Steve Tikolo openly challenged the batting unit to develop greater responsibility and composure in pressure situations as Uganda continue preparations for major ICC assignments later this year.
Bowlers deliver
Uganda were asked to field first after MCA Colts XI won the toss, but the Cricket Cranes immediately imposed themselves with disciplined bowling and improved control in the field.
Another tour debutant in Tanvish Vaze impressed with three wickets while Enock Kasaija continued his encouraging start to the tour with two important breakthroughs. Juma Miyaji, Cosmas Kyewuta and Siraje Nsubuga each chipped in with a wicket as Uganda repeatedly disrupted MCA Colts partnerships.
Although Satyam Chaudhary struck a late unbeaten 32 to lift the hosts, Uganda restricted MCA Colts XI to 133 for nine — a total that appeared manageable given the conditions.
The performance also marked a memorable first day as captain for left-arm spinner Henry Ssenyondo, who led the side after regular skipper Fred Achelam was rested. Ssenyondo praised the collective effort from the bowling unit.
“It was a collective effort from the bowlers to restrict them to 133 runs,” Ssenyondo said. “I am happy with the way things went on my first outing as skipper despite not winning the toss. It was a nice day and we will take the win. A win is a win.”
Batting concerns
Uganda’s reply initially moved smoothly through the composed batting of Patil and the aggressive intent shown by Vaze. Patil rotated strike intelligently while punishing loose deliveries during a controlled innings of 54 off 43 balls that steadied the chase after early wickets.
Vaze, meanwhile, counterattacked effectively with 38 off 25 balls, helping Uganda regain momentum whenever the innings threatened to drift. Anas Baig also contributed a patient 13 off 18 deliveries as Uganda edged closer to the target.
However, what should have been a relatively calm chase again became unnecessarily tense after a series of soft dismissals and poor decision-making allowed MCA Colts back into the contest. Uganda eventually crossed the finish line with only four balls remaining – a scenario both the dressing room and coaching staff felt should never have happened.
Ssenyondo did not hide his frustrations afterward.
“I thought though we didn’t chase well,” Ssenyondo admitted.
“There were a couple of soft dismissals from our batsmen. We left ourselves in a situation where our bowlers had to chase down the target at the end. That is not good.”
“In this developing world of cricket, that is not smart cricket. We need to do better and the batsmen too have to do their job.”
Wake up call
Coach Steve Tikolo echoed similar concerns while stressing the importance of Uganda’s senior batters adapting to the demands of modern international T20 cricket.
Although Uganda have consistently bowled teams out for modest totals throughout the tour, Tikolo warned that failing to bat through the innings continues limiting the team’s scoring potential and creating unnecessary pressure.
“We continue to learn plenty of lessons,” Tikolo said. “We need to bat out our overs. It will give us more runs if we can do that. We have bowled out sides for low totals as little as possible. We need to keep reminding our top batters to spend more time out there in the middle.”
Tikolo then delivered perhaps his strongest challenge yet to the batting group.
“We need to tell them that it is their responsibility,” he said. They need to become accomplished batters and see the games through.”
The coach nevertheless praised the squad’s improving adaptability and role clarity throughout the tour.
“I am also happy with the way guys have taken up their roles and managed the games,” Tikolo added. Everyone has continued to grab their chance and I am happy for Henry Ssenyondo on his first outing as skipper.”
Growing depth
Uganda once again rotated the squad heavily, resting Fred Achelam and Joseph Baguma while giving opportunities to players pushing for larger roles ahead of upcoming ICC competitions.
The emergence of Sarvesh Patil, Tanvish Vaze and Enock Kasaija further strengthened evidence of growing squad depth within the Cricket Cranes setup.
Importantly, Uganda also demonstrated the ability to respond mentally after the disappointment of the previous day’s narrow loss to SoBo Mumbai Falcons in Thane.
The series now stands level at 1-1 with Uganda expected to continue experimenting as preparations build toward the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B in Tanzania and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifiers in Nigeria later this year.
#LycaConnectsCricket