namibia vs kenya

Kenya won the toss and chose to bowl first against Namibia in their opening Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, held at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe. The match got underway at 1 PM IST (9:30 AM local time).

This encounter marks a significant test for Kenya’s seasoned lineup, led by captain Dhiren Gondaria and featuring key players such as Rakep Patel, Lucas Oluoch, and Nelson Odhiambo. Head coach David Obuya expressed confidence ahead of the game, pointing to strong top-order performances in the warm-up against Tanzania, where Gondaria and Patel posted 52 and 51 runs respectively.

Kenya received a boost with Sachin Gill cleared to play following a hand injury, though they will be without Neil Mugabe due to a knee issue.

Namibia, meanwhile, enter the match against a motivated Kenyan side determined to protect their unbeaten home record. However, their preparations have largely been limited to domestic training sessions. Gondaria acknowledged Zimbabwe as the biggest challenge in the group, but emphasized that in T20 cricket, “anything can happen if teams stick to their plans.”

The Africa Qualifier features eight teams battling for two World Cup spots. Group A consists of Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and Malawi, while Group B includes Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Botswana.