Kasaija’s Rise Gives Uganda Fresh Belief On Mumbai Tour

Uganda arrived in Mumbai expected to struggle against India’s domestic depth but emerging talents like Enock Kasaija, Tanvish Vaze and Sarvesh Patil are now giving the Cricket Cranes fresh belief ahead of major ICC assignments.

UGANDA’S TOUR OF MUMBAI

RESULT – GAME 3 – T20s

Uganda XI 114/8 (20 overs)

Tanvish Vaze 27, Gerald Olipa 23, Simon Ssesazi 22; Satyam Chaudhary 3/13, Tanish Save 2/39, Tanish Shetty 2/9

MCA Colts XI 115/5 (18.4 overs)

Harsh Salunkhe 49, Aryan Patil 32, Vishwajit Jagdale 17*; Enock Kasaija 3/17, Alpesh Ramjani 1/16, Aakar Rane 1/19

Result: MCA Colts XI won by 5 wickets

Player of the Match: Harsh Salunkhe

T20 Series: MCA Colts XI lead 2-1

NEXT FIXTURE — MAY 30, 2026

Uganda XI vs. Mumbai Knights

Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) – MCA Recreation Centre

T20 Match, 8.30am

Bold Decision. Captain Henry Ssenyondo won an important toss but the wicket didn’t play true as Uganda batted first and collapsed for 114.

DAHANU. Uganda XI suffered a five-wicket defeat to MCA Colts XI on Friday despite a dream opening burst from tour debutant Enock Kasaija at the Adani Stadium in Dahanu.

The 22-year-old paceman electrified the morning with a sensational opening over that reduced MCA Colts XI to 6 for 3 inside five deliveries and briefly gave Uganda control of the contest. But a composed 74-run partnership between Harsh Salunkhe and Aryan Patil slowly dragged the hosts back into the chase before MCA Colts XI eventually reached 115 for five with eight balls remaining.

Kasaija ignites Uganda

Uganda’s defence of 114 could not have started better. Kasaija ripped through the top order with three wickets in the opening over, all caught behind by wicketkeeper Charles Musemeza, as Pranav Kela, Naman Jhawar and Tanish Meher all departed cheaply.

The early collapse stunned the hosts and momentarily shifted momentum firmly Uganda’s way. Assistant coach Jackson Ogwang was full of praise for Kasaija’s fearless new-ball spell.

“KE (Kasaija) gave us a chance,” Ogwang said. “To pick up three wickets in the first over on your debut tour says a lot about his character and courage.”

Ogwang also looked ahead to Uganda’s final tour fixture against Mumbai Knights, where Indian superstar Suryakumar Yadav is expected to feature.

“The boys will be pumped up for tomorrow’s game,” Ogwang added. “If SKY plays, it will inspire many Ugandans on the field and youngsters all over the world.”

Listen Guys. Cricket Uganda Head of High Performance & Pathways Richard Okia (R) gives a pep talk to the Cricket Cranes after the match.

Salunkhe and Patil settle nerves

After the early damage, Salunkhe and Patil gradually absorbed pressure while capitalising on loose deliveries as Uganda’s bowlers searched for consistency.

Salunkhe counterattacked superbly for 49 off 39 balls before falling lbw to Alpesh Ramjani while attempting an ambitious reverse sweep against the left-arm spinner.

Patil was later handed a crucial lifeline when Musemeza dropped a difficult diving chance off Aakar Rane with MCA Colts XI requiring 24 from 34 deliveries.

Although Rane eventually removed Patil for 32, Uganda’s bowlers struggled to stem the flow thereafter as the hosts closed out victory comfortably.

Wise Words. Coach Steve Tikolo (C) and Cricket Uganda chairman Jackson Kavuma (2nd R) addressed players after the meeting at Adani Stadium. Uganda have continued balancing growth with hard lessons on the tour.

Uganda rue batting struggles

Earlier, Uganda battled to 114 for eight after captain Henry Ssenyondo elected to bat first on what quickly became a dry and weary surface.

Tanvish Vaze top-scored with 27 while Gerald Olipa made 23 and Simon Ssesazi added 22 at the top of the order. However, Uganda again failed to build substantial partnerships and lost wickets at regular intervals.

Coach Steve Tikolo felt the surface justified Uganda’s decision to bat first but admitted the innings lacked enough smartness and urgency.

“It was a dry wicket and I thought batting first was the right decision,” Tikolo explained. “But the pitch got weary a little too early.”

Tikolo was particularly frustrated by Uganda’s inability to rotate strike consistently.

“We gave away 55 dot balls and that is not a T20 innings,” he said. “If our inner-circle fielders had also cut out some easy singles, things could have been different. If you do such things, the game goes deep and from there it is anyone’s game.”

The defeat leaves Uganda eager to finish the Mumbai tour strongly when they face Mumbai Knights in Saturday’s final game at the iconic Bandra Kurla Complex – the home of the Mumbai Cricket Association Recreation Centre – with anticipation building around the possible appearance of India T20 superstar Suryakumar Yadav.

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