Uganda to play Indian stars in Mumbai
Preps Continue. An 18-man Cricket Cranes playing contingent is currently at the Omtex ICWC Cricket Institute to harness their skills in the build up to the 2024 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. PHOTO/INNOCENT NDAWULA
What you need to know:
Indian Feeling. The highlight of the tour is scheduled for next Monday when Uganda embarks on a two-hour trip from Saphale to the Tendulkar Gymkhana for a high-stakes tie against MCA.
Uganda's preparations for their inaugural appearance at the prestigious 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) have intensified with a 12-day training camp in India at the I Can We Can (ICWC) Omtex Cricket Institute in Saphale, Mumbai.
Having arrived in the cricket-centric nation yesterday morning, the team immediately hit the lush green Omtex ICWC Oval for a practice session after a brief tour of the state-of-the-art fully-fledged and self-sustaining institute. The facility has hosted several national teams from Africa, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Nigeria, along with various celebrity international cricketers.
Day One concluded with a night gym session, and the 18-man Cricket Cranes squad will look forward to a comprehensive tour of the beautiful facility they last visited during its initial development stages in 2020.
Straight into action
However, there's no time for extended tours now; Coach Jackson Ogwang's team dives straight into action with two Twenty20 matches against the highly-rated National Cricket Club, based in Churchgate, Mumbai.
The tour comprises a total of nine matches, with the institute’s Omtex ICWC XI participating in two games and the All Heart Cricket Academy set to dominate the lion’s share of games against Uganda, with four matches.
All Heart, winners of the inaugural Pristine Cup in November last year, serve as a breeding ground for future Indian stars under the guidance of former Indian player and Kolkata Knight Riders coach Abhishek Nayar and ex-Mumbai star Bravish Shetty.
The highlight of the tour is scheduled for Monday, January 22, when the Ugandan contingent embarks on a two-hour, 80km road trip from Saphale to the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana for a high-stakes clash against the star-studded Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).
Stars show
The MCA roster includes global and Indian Premier League (IPL) superstars such as captain Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube and Sachin Yadav.
“Isn’t God wonderful?” exclaimed Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) secretary Jackson Kavuma, appreciating his Board’s efforts that have gone into ensuring the success of the build-up tour and the rich fixture schedule.
“We are going to get a chance to play amongst the big boys of Indian cricket and several Ranji Trophy players. And most importantly, we are going to play at Sachin Tendulkar’s stadium. This does not get better than drinking from the same cup of cricket wisdom than this.”
Gauging potential
On the team’s two rest days, they will go sightseeing on January 21 and then engage in Corporate Social Responsibility activities such as coaching and community engagement on January 24.
Coach Ogwang expressed his delight with the challenging fixture schedule, emphasizing the team's desire to gauge their progress against the very best in the game.
“This is what we signed up for and this is what we want. We are going to play to our best abilities and enjoy every bit of it,” said the youthful gaffer.
Uganda is pooled in Group C at the World Cup, based in Guyana, alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, and host-nation West Indies for the June 4-30 global bonanza.
UGANDA TOUR TO OMTEX ICWC
Friday @ Omtex ICWC
Game 1: T20 vs. National CC (7.30am)
Game 2: T20 vs. National CC (11.30am)
Tomorrow @ Omtex ICWC
Game 3: T20 vs. Omtex ICWC Select (11am)
January 22 @ Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana
Game 4: T20 vs. MCA (8.30am)
January 23 @ Omtex ICWC
Game 5: T20 vs. All Heart CA (7.30am)
Game 6: T20 vs. All Heart CA (11.30am)
January 25 @ Omtex ICWC
Game 7: T20 vs. All Heart CA (7.30am)
Game 8: T20 vs. All Heart CA (11.30am)
January 26 @ Vangaon
Game 9: T20 vs. Omtex ICWC (11am)
TEAM UGANDA IN INDIA
Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Ronak Patel, Alpesh Ramjani, Brian Masaba (captain), Dinesh Nakrani, Juma Miyaji, Robinson Obuya, Kenneth Waiswa, Cyrus Kakuru, Henry Ssenyondo, Frank Nsubuga, Fred Achelam, Innocent Mwebaze, Cosmas Kyewuta, Ronald Lutaya, Jonathan Ssebanja, David Wabwire
MCA RANJI TROPHY TEAM
Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Jay Bista, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Shivam Dube, Suved Parkar, Prasad Pawar (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Mohit Awasthi, Dhaval Kulkarni, Roystan Dias, Sylvester Dsouza, Himanshu Singh
About The Gymkhana
The Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana is a prestigious recreation centre located in the heart of western suburbs in Mumbai. It will remind you of a bygone era of old world hospitality and warm service matched with all the luxuries of a contemporary living. The sanctuary boasts of a range of world-class indoor sporting amenities to suit every interest and skill level. Whether you’re looking to perfect your backhand on our badminton courts, make a strike on our bowling lanes, or break a sweat in our gymnasium, we have something for everyone.
From Badminton, Squash, Pool Tables, Table Tennis, Semi-Olympic size Swimming Pool, Unisex Gymnasium, Bowling Alley, Carrom Board Room and Chess, the Gymkhana is one kind of experience that has something for everyone to promote wellness in an environment of luxury.
