After a year’s gap, cricket is back in Kenyan domestic circuit, with the resumption of the Nairobi Invitational T20 competition at Eastleigh High School.
The 8th and 9th round of the league stage took place on 21st and 28th February 2021, at the conclusion of which Kanbis, Swamibapa and Sir Ali Muslim club are tied with equal points at the top of the log table, with net run-rate separating the three in the 9-team competition.
Nairobi Gymkhana has also joined Kanbis, Swamibapa and Sir Ali Muslim in the playoffs, after having a torrid time in the later half of the competition. Their 5 group stage wins were enough to keep them above Ruaraka, who failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Tanzeel Sheikh (Ngara Sports Club) is the leading run-scorer during the league stages, with 278 runs in 6 innings. Rushab Patel (Swamibapa) with 272 runs in 8 innings and Dhiren Gondaria (Kanbis) with 237 runs in 7 innings have impressed as well during the league stages. With Ngara out of the playoffs, both Rushab and Dhiren will have the opportunity to go past Tanzeel and end the campaign as the highest run-getter in the competition.
Among the bowlers, Emmanuel Bundi (Swamibapa) leads the wicket-takers list with 18 scalps, followed by Tejaswa Raj (Sir Ali Muslim) and Nischay Kerai (Kanbis) with 14 wickets each.
Kenya have a busy 2021 ahead with participation in CWC Challenge League tournament in Jersey in September, Africa regional qualifiers for men’s T20 World Cup in Nigeria in November and the Africa T20 Finals in South Africa in September.
