Rwanda’s dream of lifting the 2026 Kwibuka Women’s T20I Tournament trophy on home soil ended in heartbreak on Saturday after a dramatic one-run defeat to Zimbabwe in the final at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium. After winning the toss, Zimbabwe posted 126/5 from their 20 overs, thanks largely to a composed knock from Runyararo Pasipanodya, who scored 45 off 35 balls to earn Player of the Match honours. She was well supported by Lorraine Pemhiwa, who made 31 from 26 deliveries, while captain Adel Zimunu added 20 off 32 balls. Rwanda struggled to make early breakthroughs with the ball, but captain Diane Bimenyimana produced a superb spell, claiming 5 wickets for 28 runs to keep the hosts firmly in contention. Chasing 127 for victory, Rwanda came under pressure early before Henriette Ishimwe launched a sensational counterattack. The all-rounder smashed 60 runs from just 30 balls, including six towering sixes, swinging momentum back in Rwanda’s favour and igniting the home crowd. She received support from Fanny Utagushimaninde, who contributed 15 runs off 18 balls, but Zimbabwe HPC continued to strike at crucial moments and ultimately held their nerve to restrict Rwanda to 125/8, sealing victory by the narrowest of margins. The triumph capped a remarkable campaign for Zimbabwe HPC, who had also beaten Rwanda in the tournament opener before returning to deny the hosts in the final. After the match, Zimbabwe HPC batter Lorraine Pemhiwa reflected on the team’s achievement. It feels really good to have contributed to the team’s victory. It was a huge effort from everyone. We supported each other from the beginning, and it’s a great feeling to finish as champions. Pemhiwa said the title was a reward for the hard work the team invested throughout the tournament. We worked hard from day one. We lost a few matches along the way, but we came back stronger every time. We gave everything we had, and in the end it paid off. For Rwanda, the defeat was painful, but head coach Leonard Nhamburo said he was proud of the character shown by his players. Losing by one run is always difficult, especially in a final. It hurts. But if you look at how they fought, they fought very well. Nhamburo praised his side’s resilience throughout the tournament and highlighted the fighting spirit they displayed in the final. That’s something we worked on throughout the tournament—competing in close games, never losing hope and having players step up for the team. Today’s performance was top-class, even though we didn’t win the trophy. The coach also singled out Henriette Ishimwe’s match-changing innings. There was always hope that she could deliver, and she did. She brought us very close to victory. If she wasn’t there today, it would have been a completely different game. Reflecting on Rwanda’s overall campaign, Nhamburo highlighted the team’s improvement with the bat. In almost every match, we scored more than 100 runs. We posted 179, 147, 134, 131 and another strong total in the final. That’s a major positive for us. However, he acknowledged there were lessons to take from the tournament. Our middle order collapsed too quickly at times. We lost wickets in clusters, and that’s something we need to fix. We need stronger partnerships in the middle overs going forward. Despite the disappointment, Rwanda can take pride in reaching the final after an impressive campaign that included victories over Malawi, Nigeria and Brazil. The hosts finished as runners-up, while Zimbabwe HPC lifted the 2026 Kwibuka Women’s T20I Tournament trophy following one of the most dramatic finals in the competition’s history.
