Overwhelming favorites Zimbabwe face off against Rwanda today (October 22, 2024) in the ninth match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Sub Regional Africa Qualifier Group B in Nairobi, Kenya.
Once a proud cricketing nation, Zimbabwe is on a path to redemption after enduring mismanagement and a prolonged economic crisis that led to a decline in their cricketing fortunes. Now, they are vying against less prominent teams for a spot in the regional final, the last hurdle before the T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe missed out on the last World Cup after finishing third in the African qualifiers, trailing Namibia and Uganda.
Having learned from past setbacks, Sikandar Raza and his team have approached their qualifying campaign with caution. They secured significant victories, winning by 76 runs (DLS method) against Seychelles and by nine wickets against Mozambique, positioning them at the top of Group B ahead of the unbeaten hosts, Kenya.
A decisive win against Rwanda would further enhance their already impressive Net Run Rate (NRR) of +10.892, significantly overshadowing Kenya's +4.397. The top two teams from Group B will advance to the Africa regional final, where they will compete against the already qualified Namibia and Uganda, along with four other teams (two each from Groups A and C).
