As Kenya enter this tournament with much hope, it is something they have been waiting for since they want to once again become a dominant cricketing nation. Kenya that once finished 3rd in the ODI World Cup in 2003, and known for their upset victory over India, this was a side that also made the initial T-20 World Cup about two decades ago.
Trying to figure things out once again and become that Champions Trophy side they were, this is also a side known for having fast starts after they had a 73-run win against West Indies in that same tournament, they beat India. Currently ranked 33rd in T20I cricket, they are slowly looking for a way of moving back into that favorable top 25 position.
With a much more different-looking squad, their head coach situation has been resolved after having a tragic event with Dodda Ganesh, who was let go off because contracts were an issue. As former player Joseph Angara had taken over coaching duties for a little while, the full-time position has now been given to Lameck Onyango, who was part of the legendary 8-year run with Kenya several years ago.
Hoping to bring back that similar courage and fight to this current team, filled with a lot of promising talent, captain Dhiren Gondaria has already made a vital impact in many different ways, including being a great leader, plus also having a lot of playing prowess too.
Strengths: Opening Batsmen Should Assemble A Great Top-Order
Kenya have been one of the sides that have continued building a great top order and look very dangerous to perform well again. Opening the batting is Dhiren Gondaria, 363 runs during 17 innings, as he continues building himself into a big-match player. Someone who bats at a near 120 strike rate, it is quite amazing considering the conditions he plays in and hopes to build on his first half-century, which he scored recently.
On the other end, Pushkar Sharma hasn’t been able to build a great average so far, but he’s another one of those batsmen who strike at will, plus will always go over a run per ball. With a rate of over 110, his abilities have let him create 45 boundaries during his first 23 innings.
With the opening duo being a nice lefty-righty mix, Sachin Bhudia has been a vital piece at one-down as he scores almost 20 runs an innings and is known for really hitting classy boundaries. Finding open gaps on both left plus right sides, this is someone who continues being aggressive in powerplay overs and before the halfway stage of Kenya’s innings, usually.
Lastly, their most experienced and top-class batsmen in Rakep Patel will come at two down and be vital in uplifting scores to not have to force a struggling middle-over to carry a bigger load. Scoring over 1,700 runs in this format, he has hit a great century before with 9 world-class half-centuries at a very good rate.
Weaknesses: Middle-Order Has Continued Being A Massive Issue
This side is yet another team during the tournament that has a middle-order they can’t rely or expect much from. Although Sukdeep Singh has hit a half-century before, this is someone whose only managed to just cross 600 runs after playing his 47th and 48th match, while his strike-rate is much lower than anyone at the top. Having one of about 101, it doesn’t make him very feared by other bowlers, as 26-year-old Jasrj Kundi also keeps falling early. Getting an average of just 11 runs per match and seeming to lose his wickets at very important times, he does have more six-hitting prowess than Sukdeep Singh, but it comes with risk, as he’s not been able to hit fours at that same level.
Francis Mutua has tried being a hope for this group of batsmen, but he’s also not provided anything, as the 23-year-old local has scored 28 runs during 6 innings and doesn’t have an average that even crosses 6. Not known for his boundary-hitting at all, he’s gotten only three so far and seems to not connect even when this side is in their death overs.
Shem Ngoche has actually been pretty solid down the order for this unit and should look to move up since he’s already scored 566 runs plus provided 18 sixes during his limited batting end. Another veteran piece on this group, he will be their only real hope because even Lucas Olouch hasn’t shown much prowess with the bat in hand.
Opportunities: Bowling Attacks Looks Very Decent To Cause A Few Upsets
One thing about Kenya is that their bowlers will have something to say, with a lot of them being successful throughout their career so far. Starting with Vraj Patel, this is someone who’s only 23 but has already taken 78 wickets during 59 matches and keeps a very low 5.20 economy. Given that he’s a lefty, Vraj has had success against a lot of right-handed batsmen and should be a key contributor during both middle overs plus the back-end of innings.
Another key piece to mention is left-handed medium pacer Lucas Olouch, as he’s asserted himself into becoming a big-time wicket-taker with 67 already taken after 63 matches and three four-wicket hauls.
Talking about even more left-handed firepower, Kenyan spinner Shem Ngoche has shown to be extremely experienced against big teams and taken 120 wickets during 104 T20I matches. Although he also had a little bit of a run in ODI cricket since he came up when Kenya was once one of the biggest teams, this is someone more than eager to get them back into that stage.
Having an economy below 6.00 as well, knowing that Nelson Odhiambo hasn’t been selected for this tournament, Francis Mutua will get a huge chance to shine. Someone who’s still a bit young at 23 years old, he’s shown consistent improvement right-arm medium pacer and taken 24 wickets in quick time.
Threats: Group Looks Very Loaded For This Side Too
As for the other teams in Kenya’s group, they will also be in for a tough ride as they have to go up against some extremely motivated teams in their group. With Namibia already being the best out of the four by a mile, they will be looking for a 4th straight tournament appearance, while always managing to take care of Kenya with ease.
Knowing that Nigeria is more than hungry to grow this sport in their nation by making one of the biggest tournaments around the world, they won’t be an easy out either. Although it is believed that they can win a match against Malawi pretty handily, the other two sides really pose a massive threat to them in must-win situations.
Kenya Squad: Dhiren Gondaria(C), Neil Mugabe, Pushkar Shivkumar Sharma, Rushab Patel, Sachin Bhudia, Jasraj Kundi, Nitish Hirani, Rakep Patel, Sachin Gill, Sukdeep Singh, Francis Mutua, Lucas Olouch, Peter Langat, Vishil Patel, Vraj Patel
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