Cricket is a game that brings people together, no matter where they’re from or how old they are. On June 3, 2024, the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Uganda National Cricket Team Match Scorecard in the 5th match of Group C at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, held at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. It was a historic moment, especially for Uganda, who were playing their first-ever match at a T20 World Cup. For Afghanistan, it was a chance to show their growing strength on the global stage. The match ended with Afghanistan securing a massive 125-run victory, but the story of the game is much more than just the final score. Let’s dive into the details of this exciting clash, with a full scorecard and a simple breakdown of what happened, so everyone can enjoy the tale of this memorable day.
The Build-Up to the Match
Before we get to the scorecard, let’s set the scene. Afghanistan, ranked 10th in T20 Internationals, came into the tournament with confidence. They’ve been climbing the ranks in world cricket, thanks to players like Rashid Khan, one of the best spin bowlers in the game, and a talented group of batsmen and bowlers. Their performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup gave them belief that they could compete with anyone.
Uganda, ranked 22nd, were the underdogs. This was their big moment, a chance to showcase their skills on the world stage. They’d won 15 of their last 20 T20Is in Africa, but playing a full member nation like Afghanistan in unfamiliar conditions was a huge challenge. The excitement was palpable, especially for Uganda’s captain, Brian Masaba, who called it a “special moment” to hear their national anthem at the World Cup.
The match was played at Guyana’s Providence Stadium, a venue known for tricky pitches where scores around 124 are average in T20Is. Uganda won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping to chase a target they could manage. Little did they know, Afghanistan had other plans.
Afghanistan’s Batting: A Fiery Start
Afghanistan’s innings was all about their openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. These two young stars put on a show, scoring 154 runs together for the first wicket—a partnership that set the tone for the game. Gurbaz, the wicketkeeper-batsman, played with flair, smashing 76 runs off 45 balls, including 4 fours and 4 sixes. His strike rate of 168.88 showed how aggressively he attacked the Ugandan bowlers. Zadran was equally impressive, scoring 70 runs off 46 balls with 9 fours and 1 six, at a strike rate of 152.17. Their partnership was a masterclass in T20 batting, mixing caution with explosive shots.
By the end of the powerplay (the first 6 overs), Afghanistan were 66/0, already in a strong position. They reached 100 runs in just 9.5 overs, with Gurbaz reaching his fifty in 28 balls and Zadran following with his fifty in 34 balls. The pair looked set to push Afghanistan past 200, but Uganda’s bowlers fought back.
Uganda’s captain, Brian Masaba, led the comeback. In the 14th over, he bowled out Zadran, who tried to loft a shot but was deceived by the flight and saw his leg stump knocked back. Soon after, Gurbaz fell to Alpesh Ramjani, caught at deep square leg after a well-played 76. Najibullah Zadran, who came in next, couldn’t keep the momentum going, scoring just 2 runs before being caught at deep square leg off Masaba’s bowling. Gulbadin Naib (4 runs) and Azmatullah Omarzai (5 runs) also fell cheaply, both caught off Cosmas Kyewuta’s bowling. Mohammad Nabi (14 not out) and Rashid Khan (2 not out) saw Afghanistan to the end, finishing at 183/5 in 20 overs.
Uganda’s bowlers deserve credit for pulling things back. Masaba took 2 wickets for 21 runs in 4 overs, while Kyewuta also claimed 2 wickets for 25 runs. Ramjani picked up 1 wicket, but the others struggled, with Dinesh Nakrani (0/37) and Bilal Hassan (0/34) proving expensive. Despite the late wickets, Afghanistan’s total of 183 was daunting, especially on a pitch where the average first-innings score was much lower.
Uganda’s Chase: A Tough Day at the Office
Chasing 184 was always going to be tough for Uganda, especially against Afghanistan’s world-class bowling attack. Things went south quickly. Fazalhaq Farooqi, Afghanistan’s left-arm pacer, stole the show with a sensational spell. In his first over, he dismissed Ronak Patel (4 runs) and Roger Mukasa (0 runs) in consecutive balls, both with swinging deliveries that rattled the stumps. Uganda were 4/2 after just 0.3 overs. Simon Ssesazi, the wicketkeeper, scored 4 before falling to Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s spin, caught at short fine leg. By the end of the powerplay, Uganda were reeling at 21/5, with Dinesh Nakrani (6 runs) and Alpesh Ramjani (0 runs) also back in the pavilion, both dismissed by Naveen-ul-Haq.
Riazat Ali Shah and Robinson Obuya offered some resistance, putting on 29 runs for the sixth wicket. Obuya hit Uganda’s first-ever T20 World Cup six, a moment of pride for the debutants. But Farooqi wasn’t done. He returned to bowl out Riazat (11 runs off 34 balls) and then dismissed captain Masaba (0) on the next ball, caught by Gurbaz. Obuya’s fighting 14 ended when he edged Farooqi to Gurbaz, giving the pacer his fifth wicket. Bilal Hassan scored 8 before being trapped lbw by Rashid Khan, who then bowled out Henry Ssenyondo (0) to wrap up the innings. Uganda were all out for 58 in 16 overs, with Cosmas Kyewuta (2 not out) the last man standing.
Farooqi’s figures of 5/9 in 4 overs were the standout, earning him the Player of the Match award. Rashid Khan took 2/12, Naveen-ul-Haq 2/4, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1/16. Afghanistan’s bowlers were relentless, with Farooqi’s swing and Rashid’s spin proving too much for Uganda’s batsmen.
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Uganda National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: A Clear Picture
Here’s the full Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Uganda National Cricket Team Match Scorecard, laid out so everyone can follow along:
|
Afghanistan Innings (20 overs maximum) |
R |
B |
4s |
6s |
SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) c Riazat Ali Shah b Ramjani |
76 | 45 | 4 | 4 | 168.88 |
|
Ibrahim Zadran b Masaba |
70 | 46 | 9 | 1 | 152.17 |
|
Najibullah Zadran c Nakrani b Masaba |
2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
|
Mohammad Nabi not out |
14 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 87.50 |
|
Gulbadin Naib c Masaba b Kyewuta |
4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 80.00 |
|
Azmatullah Omarzai c Ramjani b Kyewuta |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
|
Rashid Khan (c) not out |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 200.00 |
|
Extras (b 1, lb 2, nb 1, w 6) |
10 | ||||
|
Total (20 overs, RR: 9.15) |
183/5 | ||||
|
Did not bat: Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi |
|||||
|
Fall of wickets: 1-154 (Zadran, 14.3 ov), 2-156 (Gurbaz, 15.1 ov), 3-162 (Najibullah, 16.2 ov), 4-169 (Naib, 17.5 ov), 5-181 (Omarzai, 19.5 ov) |
|
Bowling (Uganda) |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alpesh Ramjani |
4 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 8.25 |
|
Cosmas Kyewuta |
4 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 6.25 |
|
Dinesh Nakrani |
3 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 12.33 |
|
Bilal Hassan |
2 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 17.00 |
|
Henry Ssenyondo |
2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 9.50 |
|
Riazat Ali Shah |
1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 |
|
Brian Masaba |
4 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 5.25 |
|
Uganda Innings (Target: 184 runs from 20 overs) |
R |
B |
4s |
6s |
SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ronak Patel b Fazalhaq Farooqi |
4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 200.00 |
|
Simon Ssesazi (wk) c Fazalhaq Farooqi b Mujeeb Ur Rahman |
4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
|
Roger Mukasa lbw b Fazalhaq Farooqi |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Riazat Ali Shah b Fazalhaq Farooqi |
11 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 32.35 |
|
Dinesh Nakrani b Naveen-ul-Haq |
6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
|
Alpesh Ramjani c Naib b Naveen-ul-Haq |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Robinson Obuya c Gurbaz b Fazalhaq Farooqi |
14 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 56.00 |
|
Brian Masaba (c) c Gurbaz b Fazalhaq Farooqi |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Bilal Hassan lbw b Rashid Khan |
8 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 |
|
Cosmas Kyewuta not out |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
|
Henry Ssenyondo b Rashid Khan |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Extras (lb 2, w 7) |
9 | ||||
|
Total (16 overs, RR: 3.63) |
58/10 | ||||
|
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Patel, 0.2 ov), 2-4 (Mukasa, 0.3 ov), 3-8 (Ssesazi, 1.4 ov), 4-18 (Nakrani, 4.2 ov), 5-18 (Ramjani, 4.4 ov), 6-47 (Riazat, 12.1 ov), 7-47 (Masaba, 12.2 ov), 8-48 (Obuya, 12.6 ov), 9-58 (Hassan, 15.5 ov), 10-58 (Ssenyondo, 15.6 ov) |
|
Bowling (Afghanistan) |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fazalhaq Farooqi |
4 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 2.25 |
|
Mujeeb Ur Rahman |
3 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 5.33 |
|
Naveen-ul-Haq |
2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2.00 |
|
Azmatullah Omarzai |
2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 |
|
Rashid Khan |
4 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 3.00 |
|
Mohammad Nabi |
1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8.00 |
Match Details
-
Date: June 3, 2024 (Night match)
-
Venue: Providence Stadium, Guyana
-
Toss: Uganda, elected to field first
-
Result: Afghanistan won by 125 runs
-
Player of the Match: Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan, 5/9)
-
Umpires: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan), Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka)
-
TV Umpire: Adrian Holdstock (South Africa)
-
Match Referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)
Key Moments and What They Mean
This match was a tale of two teams at different stages of their cricket journey. For Afghanistan, it was a statement of intent. Their openers showed they can dominate any bowling attack, while Farooqi’s five-wicket haul proved their bowlers are among the best. Rashid Khan, the captain, spoke after the match about keeping things simple and focusing on their game, a mindset that has helped Afghanistan become a dangerous T20 side. He also highlighted how their 2023 ODI World Cup experience gave them confidence to take on any team.
For Uganda, it was a tough but valuable lesson. Their bowlers showed fight, especially Masaba and Kyewuta, who kept Afghanistan from reaching 200. With the bat, they struggled against Afghanistan’s quality attack, but moments like Obuya’s six gave their fans something to cheer about. Captain Masaba called it a “proud moment” to represent Uganda at the World Cup, and he was optimistic about bouncing back against Papua New Guinea in their next match.
The pitch at Providence Stadium played a role too. It’s known for being bowler-friendly, but Afghanistan’s batsmen made it look easy early on. Uganda’s bowlers adapted well later, but their batsmen couldn’t cope with the pressure from Afghanistan’s bowlers. The match showed the gap between a seasoned T20 side and a debutant, but it also highlighted Uganda’s potential to grow.
Why This Match Matters
For fans of all ages, this game was a reminder of why cricket is so special. It’s not just about winning or losing—it’s about the stories. Afghanistan’s rise from an associate nation to a T20 powerhouse is inspiring. Ten years ago, they were in Uganda’s shoes, playing their first big tournaments. Now, they’re beating teams by huge margins. Uganda’s journey is just beginning, and their courage to take on the world is something to celebrate.
The match also showed the beauty of the World Cup. It brings together teams from different backgrounds, giving smaller nations like Uganda a chance to shine. Even though they lost, Uganda’s players gained experience that will help them grow. For Afghanistan, the win boosted their net run rate and set them up nicely for tougher matches, like their next one against New Zealand.
Wrapping It Up
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Uganda National Cricket Team Match Scorecard was a one-sided affair, but it was full of heart. Afghanistan’s batsmen, led by Gurbaz and Zadran, set a challenging total, and their bowlers, especially Farooqi, were unstoppable. Uganda fought hard with the ball and showed glimpses of promise with the bat, but they were outclassed by a stronger side. The scorecard tells the story of a dominant win, but the real story is about growth, pride, and the love of cricket.
