The Rwandan national cricket team represents Rwanda in international cricket. They became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003[7] and an associate member in 2017.[2]
History
2000-2008
2004 marked the genesis of Rwanda national team's participation in regional and international tournaments, their very first being the African Affiliates Championship in 2004, where they finished seventh in South Africa. In 2006 they competed in Division Three of the African region of the World Cricket League, improving their performance and finishing in sixth. They remained in Division Three in 2008.[8]
In 2008, they participated in the ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Three hosted by South Africa and reached semi finals.[9]
2009-2015
In 2009, the national team participated in the African Cricket World Cup qualifiers in Malawi and in the ICC Africa Twenty20 Division Three in 2011 hosted by Ghana and emerged as the winners against Seychelles.[10]
2015-2020
In 2016, captain Eric Dusingizimana set a world record for the longest individual net session in an attempt to raise funds for the construction of a new cricket stadium.[11]
In 2017, they became an associate member of the ICC.[2]
In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Rwanda and other ICC members since 1 January 2019 have the T20I status.[12]
In March 2018 the Rwanda Cricket Association named former Kenyan international Martin Suji as head coach on an initial four-month contract, encompassing the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 Africa Qualifier Eastern Subregion tournament.[13]
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Amoluk Singh 58 (40) Zappy Bimenyimana 2/32 (4 overs) |
Martin Akayezu 51 (19) Godfred Bakiweyem 3/28 (3.4 overs) |
- Ghana won the toss and elected to bat.
- First T20I match for Rwanda.
Gallery
- Rwanda national cricket team players
Grounds
Gahanga International Cricket Stadium and Kicukiro Oval located in IPRC Kigali former ETO Kicukiro are the main cricket grounds in Kigali. In August 2011, Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation was formed to build and manage, on a not-for-profit basis, the first dedicated international cricket ground in Rwanda. It is located on a 4.5-hectare site on the edge of Kigali, Rwanda's capital.[14]
The charity is run by a team of cricket enthusiasts from the UK Christopher Shale and Rwanda in partnership with the Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation.[14] The ground was expected to be completed in 2014.
The construction of Rwanda's first dedicated cricket ground will provide a permanent home for the sport, helping its development and increasing opportunity for thousands of disadvantaged young people.
In 2012, Brian Lara agreed to become one of the patrons. The stadium is also supported by former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Andrew Mitchell, Jonathan Agnew, Heather Knight, Peter Gummer, Baron Chadlington
Facilities
- An international-standard cricket ground (one Astroturf wicket; several grass wickets)
- Pavilion (with restaurant, bar and conference facilities)
- Six cricket nets
- Modest spectator seating
- Car parking (c. 80 spaces)
- Soft (green) landscaping
Current squad
This lists all the players who have played for Rwanda in the past 12 months or has been part of the latest T20I squad. Updated as of 24 October 2024.
| Name | Age | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||
| Oscar Manishimwe | 23 | Right-handed | ||
| Hamza Khan | 28 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| Orchide Tuyisenge | 26 | Right-handed | ||
| Wilson Niyitanga | 24 | Right-handed | ||
| Daniel Gumyusenge | 22 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Isae Niyomugabe | 22 | Right-handed | ||
| All-rounders | ||||
| Clinton Rubagumya | 30 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Captain |
| Yves Cyusa | 19 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| Wicket-keeper | ||||
| Didier Ndikubwimana | 22 | Right-handed | Vice-captain | |
| Spin Bowlers | ||||
| Muhammad Nadir | 28 | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | |
| Emmanuel Sebareme | 30 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| Emile Rukiriza | 22 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| Kevin Irakoze | 26 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| Israel Mugisha | 21 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | |
| Pace Bowlers | ||||
| Zappy Bimenyimana | 37 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Martin Akayezu | 23 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Ignace Ntirenganya | 24 | Right-handed | Left-arm medium | |
| Eric Kubwimana | 23 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
Tournament history
Twenty20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Regional Final
| Twenty20 World Cup Africa Qualifier record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
 2019 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2021 | ||||||||
 2022–23 | Round-robin | 7/7 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
 2025 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| Total | 1/3 | – | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier
| T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 2021 | Round-robin | 4/7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Runners-up (Q) | 2/8 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 2024 | Round-robin | 4/6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
 2026 | Champions (A) | 1/7 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 4/4 | 1 Title | 24 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 1 | |
Records and statistics
International Match Summary — Rwanda[15]
Last updated 30 May 2026
| Playing Record | ||||||
| Format | M | W | L | T | NR | Inaugural Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty20 Internationals | 125 | 43 | 79 | 1 | 2 | 18 August 2021 |
Twenty20 International
- Highest team total: 288/2 v. Ivory Coast, 24 May 2026 at Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1, Gaborone.[16]
- Highest individual score: 164*, Hamza Khan v. Ivory Coast, 24 May 2026 at Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1, Gaborone.[17]
- Best individual bowling figures: 5/11, Emile Rukiriza v. Malawi, 9 October 2024 at TCA Oval, Blantyre.[18]
|
Most T20I runs for Rwanda[19]
|
Most T20I wickets for Rwanda[20]
|
T20I record versus other nations[15]
Records complete to T20I #3921. Last updated 30 May 2026.
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First match | First win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs Full Members | |||||||
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27 November 2023 | |
| vs Associate Members | |||||||
 Bahrain | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 July 2025 | |
| Botswana | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 November 2022 | 17 November 2022 |
 Cameroon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 May 2026 | 23 May 2026 |
 Eswatini | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 October 2021 | 22 October 2021 |
 Gambia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 December 2023 | 8 December 2023 |
 Ghana | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 18 August 2021 | 18 August 2021 |
 Ivory Coast | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 May 2026 | 24 May 2026 |
| Kenya | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 20 November 2022 | 25 May 2026 |
 Lesotho | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 October 2021 | 21 October 2021 |
 Malawi | 15 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 22 October 2021 | 21 November 2022 |
 Mali | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 November 2022 | 24 November 2022 |
 Mozambique | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 December 2023 | |
| Namibia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 November 2023 | |
 Nigeria | 12 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 4 October 2023 | 9 December 2024 |
 Saint Helena | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 November 2022 | 18 November 2022 |
 Seychelles | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 October 2021 | 19 October 2021 |
 Sierra Leone | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 October 2023 | 6 October 2023 |
 Tanzania | 18 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 31 October 2022 | 16 December 2022 |
| Uganda | 21 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 17 October 2021 | 11 December 2023 |
 Zambia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 December 2025 | 5 December 2025 |
Other matches
For a list of selected international matches played by Rwanda, see Cricket Archive.
See also
Notes
- ↑ T20 World Cup Qualifier refers to the Regional Final of the ICC Africa region from the 2023 edition.
References
- ↑ Gyimah, Edmund Okai (17 April 2024). "Rwanda appoints Mahatlane as new head coach". The New Times (Rwanda). Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Ireland and Afghanistan ICC newest full members amid wide-ranging governance reform". International Cricket Council. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ↑ "ICC Rankings". International Cricket Council.
- ↑ "ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifying Affiliate Tournament 2003/04". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
- ↑ "T20I matches - Team records". ESPNcricinfo.
- ↑ "T20I matches - 2026 Team records". ESPNcricinfo.
- ↑ "The Home of CricketArchive". Cricketarchive.co.uk.
- ↑ "2004 results for ICC associate and affiliate members". home.iprimus.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ↑ "Full Scorecard of Rwanda vs Ghana 1st Semi-Final 2008 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ↑ "International Cricket Council - ICC Members - Africa - Fixtures". 5 June 2012. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ↑ "Captain bats for 51 straight hours". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ↑ "All T20 matches between ICC members to get international status". International Cricket Council. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ↑ "Kenyan named as national cricket team coach". The New Times | Rwanda. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- 1 2 "Welcome to Rwanda, where cricket dreams are becoming reality". Independent.co.uk. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- 1 2 "Records / Rwanda / Twenty20 Internationals / Result summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ↑ "Records / Rwanda / Twenty20 Internationals / Highest totals". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ↑ "Records / Rwanda / Twenty20 Internationals / High scores". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ↑ "Records / Rwanda / Twenty20 Internationals / Best bowling figures". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ↑ "Records / Rwanda / Twenty20 Internationals / Most runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ↑ "Records / Rwanda / Twenty20 Internationals / Most wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
