The Cricket Cranes team to Rwanda for the second edition of the East Africa T20 Cup has been named; it includes a debutant and five returnees.

Top order batter Ronak Patel headlines the returnees! The 34-year-old who has to his name 24 T20I matches for Uganda last featured for the Cricket Cranes in March during the Bilateral series in Qatar.

The other returnees include Roger Mukasa, Siraje Nsubuga and Jonathan Ssebanja. Both Nsubuga and Mukasa missed the tour to Namibia last month due to injuries, but Ssebanja returns after a two year absence.

Ssebanja’s last game for Uganda came in April, 2021 in Namibia. Thanks to his form in the league and in the national team trials, the Tornado Bee all-rounder has been given another chance.

David Wabwire is the debutant. The medium pacer who plays for Ceylon Lions becomes the latest player to make his debut under Laurence Mahatlane.

Dropped.

For the first time since 2021, veteran Frank Nsubuga misses out on a Ugandan team. Nsubuga and Robinson Obuya are the players that went to Uganda’s most recent tour (Namibia) that have been dropped.

Riazat Ali Shah joins the growing list of Ugandan players nursing injuries. The all-rounder had been fit and gunning for this tour not until yesterday when he injured his ankle during a training session.

He joins Juma Miyaji and Cosmos Kyewuta on the sidelines.

Dinesh Nakrani, one of the top performers for Uganda in recent times misses out due to family issues.

Uganda will be competing against Tanzania, Ghana and hosts Rwanda starting as they seek to defend the trophy they won last year.

The team leaves for Rwanda on Friday night.

The team in full.

Brian Masaba (C), Ronak Patel, Simon Ssesazi, Alpesh Ramjani, Roger mukasa, Kenneth Waiswa, Pascal Murungi, Bilal Hassun, Ronald Lutaya, Henry Ssenyondo , Cyrus Kakuru, Jonathan Ssebanja, David Wabwire and Siraje Nsubuga.