Kenya U-19 ready for Cricket World Cup qualifiers
Kenya U-19 players Manav Devani (left) and Vaibhav Naresh training at Nairobi Sikh Union on September 23, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Kenya Under-19 is captained by Vishil Patel.
After an intense, three months of training, Kenya is raring to go at the 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup Division Two qualifiers in Nigeria.
The two cricket pitches at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja will be the venues for the One Day International eight-nation competition set for September 30 to October 8.
Kenya, under coach Josphat Irungu, will battle it out in Group “A” with Malawi, Ghana and Mozambique.
Group “B” consists of hosts Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Botswana and Rwanda.
The top three teams will progress to the final round of the World Cup qualifiers – Division One where only one berth is available for the global event.
Awaiting in Division One are Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda.
The Kenyan youth time of 14-players were brimming with Friday after completing their training at Sikh Union Club in Nairobi.
They are expected to leave the country for Nigeria on Wednesday morning. “We have been training for the last three months, mostly at Sikh Union Club before we moved to Obuya Cricket Academy for specialised training.
“The boys are very much ready for the competition because most of them have also been playing against senior players in the Super League and other divisions,” said Irungu. “We have also talked to them on how to handle pressure, so we expect them to be composed during our matches in Nigeria.“
Kenya Under-19 is captained by Vishil Patel.
Squad: Brian Likavu, Didan Etabale, Raj Pakhaniya, Darsh Panchani, Aarnav Patel, Vishil Patel, Yash Gohil, Jiyan Patel, Hitendra Sanghani, Saavir Karania, Vatsal Shah, Kennedy Wangoi, Manav Devani and Vaibhav Naresh
Officials: Kennedy Obuya, Josphat Irungu
