Rwanda maintained their perfect run at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub Regional Qualifier A with a dominant eight-wicket victory over Mali in Gaborone, Botswana.
Rwanda’s bowlers once again delivered a disciplined and clinical performance, dismissing Mali for just 49 runs in 18.1 overs before comfortably chasing down the target with 53/2 in only 5.2 overs.
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Zappy Bimenyimana was named Player of the Match after spearheading Rwanda’s dominant bowling display and helping the team take complete control from the outset.
With the bat, captain Didier Ndikubwimana produced an aggressive innings of 24 runs from 15 balls, including two sixes, while Hamza Khan remained unbeaten on 17 off 12 deliveries to guide Rwanda to victory in style.
The result marked Rwanda’s fourth consecutive win of the tournament following earlier victories over Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya.
Rwanda’s campaign has been built on consistency, discipline and composure under pressure, with the bowling attack standing out throughout the competition.
One of the defining moments of the tournament came against Kenya, where Rwanda held their nerve to secure a dramatic two-wicket victory in a tense encounter. In that match, Martin Akayezu earned Player of the Match honours after smashing 38 runs off just 21 balls.
Kenya still showed resistance through Sachin Gill, who scored 33 off 24 deliveries, and wicketkeeper Irfan Karim, who contributed 17 runs from 27 balls, but Rwanda eventually completed the chase with confidence.
Earlier in the tournament, coach Lawrence Mahatlane’s side also impressed in their opening win over Cameroon, securing a seven-wicket victory after restricting their opponents to 107/7. Hamza Khan anchored the chase superbly with 60 runs off 54 balls, while Cameroon’s Bruno Toube fought hard with 29 runs from 31 deliveries.
Against Mali, however, Rwanda looked even more dominant, controlling both innings with authority and further underlining their credentials as one of the strongest teams in the Botswana qualifiers.
Mahatlane praised the discipline and mentality displayed by his players throughout the tournament.
"The bowlers bowled very well with great discipline. The conditions were not ideal, but we managed to show good character. The key for us is to keep going and stay focused,” he said.
With confidence continuing to grow after four straight victories, Rwanda are increasingly emerging as one of the leading contenders to progress to the next stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualification pathway.