Uganda Cricket Team Record, Key Players and Rising Rivalries

Uganda Cricket: Africa's Rising Force in Numbers

132 wins from 195 matches. A win rate of 67.7%. A T20 World Cup appearance in 2024. Uganda's cricket journey from regional obscurity to genuine ICC pathway contention is one of the sport's most compelling development stories — and the numbers back up the narrative.

The Cricket Cranes, as Uganda's national team is known, have built their success primarily in T20 cricket, accumulating a body of work against Associate and Affiliate nations that places them among Africa's strongest cricketing powers outside of South Africa. Their 67.7% win rate across 195 recorded matches speaks to consistent competitiveness rather than isolated upsets.

Recent Results

The results table reveals a clear pattern: Uganda dominates at their level (sweeping Canada 5-0) but faces stiff challenges from established Associate nations like Scotland, Namibia and the Netherlands. This is the frontier where Uganda's development trajectory sits — competitive enough to qualify for global events, but needing sustained improvement to consistently beat the top tier of Associates.

Top Run-Scorers

S Sesazi leads Uganda's all-time run charts with 1,970 runs — a significant margin over second-placed Riazat Ali Shah (1,568). All six of Uganda's leading run-scorers have passed 1,000 career runs, indicating a batting lineup with genuine depth rather than dependence on one or two individuals.

The spread of runs across six batters above 1,000 is notable for a team of Uganda's standing. For comparison, many Associate nations rely heavily on a single run machine. Uganda's top six have collectively produced 8,995 runs — an average of approximately 1,499 per player — suggesting a functional batting order rather than a top-heavy one.

Top Wicket-Takers

Uganda's bowling stocks are equally impressive by Associate standards. Three bowlers have reached or passed 95 wickets — C Aweko (101), H Ssenyondo (100) and AR Ramjani (95) — forming a formidable three-pronged attack. The combined 541 wickets from these six bowlers demonstrate a bowling unit capable of taking 20 wickets consistently.

J Mbabazi and DM Nakrani appear in both the batting and bowling top six, highlighting their all-round contributions. Mbabazi's 1,098 runs and 91 wickets, combined with Nakrani's 1,088 runs and 89 wickets, give Uganda two genuine all-rounders — a luxury that even some Full Member nations struggle to field.

The T20 World Cup Breakthrough

Uganda's qualification for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA marked the pinnacle of their cricketing journey. Competing alongside Full Members at a global event validated years of development investment and competitive performances in regional and global qualifiers.

The tournament itself was a learning experience against higher-ranked opposition, but the pathway qualification process — where Uganda's 67.7% career win rate proved decisive — demonstrated that the Cricket Cranes had moved beyond being tournament outsiders to genuine qualifiers.

Key Rivalries

Uganda's competitive landscape centres on three tiers of rivalry:

Regional dominance: Against East African neighbours like Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda, Uganda have established clear superiority, as evidenced by their convincing victory over Tanzania in November 2025. These fixtures remain important for ranking points and World Cup qualification pathways.

Associate peers: Matches against Canada, Papua New Guinea, Namibia and Scotland represent Uganda's competitive frontier. The 5-0 T20I series sweep against Canada in October 2025 showed Uganda can dominate teams at their level. Losses to Namibia (12 runs), Scotland (15 runs) and PNG (4 runs) illustrate how narrow the margins are at the upper Associate tier.

Established Associates: Encounters with the Netherlands, UAE and Afghanistan (in qualifying events) test Uganda against the Associate cricket elite. The 6-wicket loss to the Netherlands in November 2025 is representative of this tier — competitive, but with clear gaps in experience and depth.

What the Numbers Show

Uganda's statistical profile reveals a cricket programme with genuine substance:

• Win rate depth — 67.7% across 195 matches is not a small-sample anomaly. It reflects sustained competitiveness across qualifiers, bilateral series, and regional events over many years.
• Balanced squad — six batters above 1,000 runs and six bowlers above 65 wickets point to team strength rather than individual brilliance.
• All-round quality — Mbabazi and Nakrani appearing in both batting and bowling top fives give Uganda tactical flexibility that many peers lack.
• Global pathway progress — from regional qualifiers to T20 World Cup appearances, Uganda's trajectory is consistently upward.

The challenge ahead is bridging the gap to the established Associates — turning narrow losses to Scotland and Namibia into tight wins, and competing with the Netherlands and UAE on equal terms. The foundations, as the data shows, are firmly in place.

FAQ

What is Uganda's overall win rate in cricket?

Uganda have won 132 of 195 matches across all formats, giving them a career win rate of 67.7%.

Who is Uganda's leading run-scorer?

S Sesazi leads Uganda's all-time run charts with 1,970 career runs, followed by Riazat Ali Shah with 1,568.

Who is Uganda's leading wicket-taker?

C Aweko holds Uganda's wicket-taking record with 101 career wickets, narrowly ahead of H Ssenyondo on 100.

Has Uganda qualified for a Cricket World Cup?

Uganda qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and USA, marking their first appearance at a senior ICC global event.