The national under-19 men’s cricket team will enter camp on Tuesday next week to intensify their preparations for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Men’s World Cup Africa Division 1 qualifiers set for Tanzania on July 23-29.
A team of 32 players were selected in Nairobi after three days of rigorous trials at Nairobi Gymkhana, culminating on Labour Day, which were overseen by head coach Josephat Irungu, assisted by former Kenyan internationals Lameck Onyango and Thomas Odoyo (Cricket Kenya Development director) and chair of the selection committee, Alfred Njuguna.
The 32 players will be joined at Sikh Union Club by the Mombasa-based trio of Hitendra Sanghani, Vatsal Shah and Manav Devani as well as Nakuru’s Joseph Macharia, Hassan Lijodi and Yusuf Khamala all of who were selected after similar trials in both counties.
This will be the juniors’ second international competition in six months following their participation at the ICC World Cup Africa Division 2 qualifiers in October last year in Abuja, Nigeria.
They brought the trophy home after beating the hosts by 11 runs in the final.
The team is tipped to build upon this triumph in the upcoming competition where they will be one of the main favourites to secure their tickets to Sri Lanka, the host of next year’s global showpiece.
Some of the players who will be expected to lead from the front include Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj’s Dharsh Panchani whose double hundred against Malawi at last year’s Division 2 qualifiers earned Kenya a 286-run win over the Southern Africans.
The team will be tutored by Irungu.
Players selected during Nairobi trials:
- Brian Likavu (WK) – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
- Darsh Panchani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
- Raj Manji – Sikh Union Sports Club
- Yash Gohil (WK) – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Vishil Patel – Ruaraka Sports Club
- Vaibhav Naresh – Stray Lions Cricket Club
- Dedan Omondi – Stray Lions Cricket Club
- Stian Smith – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Yuvraj Bhatyani – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Duncan Muchenditsi – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
- Rayan Kassam – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Manveer Singh – Sikh Union Sports Club
- Krish Haria – Swamibapa Sports Club
- Peter Ngure – Obuya Cricket Academy
- Ken Mwangi – Obuya Cricket Academy
- Allan Kibabi – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
- Jiyan Patel – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Kelvin Mutembei – Stray Wolves Cricket Club
- Ankit Ashani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
- Rohit Varsani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
- Neel Doshi – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Saavir Karani – Obuya Cricket Academy
- Darshil Suthar – Goan Institute
- Kelvin Nganga – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
- Ashdeep Kundi – Sikh Union Sports Club
- Simon Mburu – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
- Arnav Patel – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Akshith Sekar – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
- Yug Kerai – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
- Garv Galaiya – Stray Leopards Cricket Club
- Aditya Vekaria – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
- Sajeeth Chidmbaram – Stray Lions Cricket Club
