The scorecards from Uganda’s historic tour of Mumbai will eventually find their place in archives.
A commanding 4-0 sweep of the 50-over series against the MCA Colts XI and a respectable return against Mumbai Premier League T20 franchise sides combined for an impressive 5-3 overall record in unfamiliar conditions.
Those numbers alone would have marked the trip as a success.
But long after the runs, wickets and catches are forgotten, May 26, 2026 may be remembered as the day Ugandan cricket quietly changed direction.
At the Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane, Cricket Uganda and the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that could reshape not only the fortunes of the senior national team but the entire cricket ecosystem back home.
Uganda did not merely secure another international tour.
It bought a seat at one of world cricket’s most influential tables.
More than matches
For years, Associate nations have struggled to find consistent, quality opposition outside ICC tournaments.
Uganda has made significant strides on the field, qualifying for its maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – the 2024 edition in the USA and West Indies – and steadily building a reputation as one of Africa’s fastest-rising cricket nations.
Yet sustained growth requires more than talent. It requires systems. The partnership with Mumbai provides exactly that.
Under the agreement, both bodies will collaborate on expanding international fixtures, strengthening high-performance structures, developing sustainable player pathways, enhancing coaching and technical expertise, and promoting the growth of women’s cricket.
The Cricket Cranes are already the first beneficiaries.
MCA facilitated Uganda’s eight-match exposure tour featuring four 50-over matches and four Twenty20 contests against representative sides drawn from one of India’s strongest cricket ecosystems.
The tour itself offered a glimpse of what such collaboration can achieve.
Uganda stunned the hosts with a clean 4-0 sweep of the 50-over series, winning by 55 runs, 33 runs, nine wickets and 53 runs respectively.
The T20 challenge proved sterner against teams preparing for the Mumbai Premier League. Uganda claimed one victory but pushed experienced opposition throughout, eventually finishing with a commendable 5-3 overall record across the entire tour.
But perhaps the greater value lies in what happens after this trip.
Plans are already in place for exchange programmes involving coaches, support staff, age-group teams and administrators. MCA are also exploring the possibility of using Uganda as an off-season training base during India’s monsoon months.
For a country where cricket still competes for attention and resources, such opportunities are priceless.
Learning from the best
There is perhaps no better guide for Uganda’s journey than head coach Steve Tikolo.
The Kenyan legend knows exactly what it means to bridge the gap between Associate and Full Member cricket, having featured in five ICC Cricket World Cups.
“It gives us a lot of pleasure to be here in Mumbai and play this type of cricket,” Tikolo said during the signing ceremony.
“I have played here before and I know how tough it can be. The positives that we are taking from here will put us in good stead for the tournaments we have coming up.”
Tikolo sees the arrangement as much bigger than one tour.
“I want to believe it is going to be a non-stop partnership. Mumbai can come to Uganda and Uganda can come to Mumbai. Through such exchanges, both sides definitely get to the next level.”
Cricket Uganda’s Head of High Performance and Pathways, Richard Okia, shares the same vision.
“Our plan is to expose the Under-19s, Under-23s, the senior men’s team and the women’s team,” Okia explained.
“We want to create a holistic environment where every level of our cricket benefits from international exposure.”
That holistic approach could become the agreement’s greatest strength.
MCA president Ajinkya Naik made it clear that the relationship was never intended to be one-sided.
“When ICC Chairman Jay Shah requested us, we didn’t hesitate. Our players love playing against international teams and we are ready to support each other, including through staff exchanges.”
Changing mindsets
Ugandan cricket has never lacked ambition. What it has often lacked is access.
The value of the Mumbai partnership goes beyond batsmen facing quicker bowling and mystery spinners or bowlers testing themselves against stronger batting line-ups.
It could expose scorers to better match operations. It could allow curators to study world-class pitch preparation. Physiotherapists and strength-and-conditioning coaches could exchange ideas.
Young administrators may learn how one of cricket’s biggest associations runs its competitions. Women’s cricket could benefit from greater international interaction.
Perhaps most importantly, players and officials alike could begin thinking differently.
Cricket Uganda chairman Jackson Kavuma revealed that the partnership grew from relationships carefully nurtured over several years.
“When I first came here three years ago, it was just a casual relationship. Little did I know it would grow into something this big that can take cricket to greater heights.”
As a Board, he believes the agreement can transform attitudes.
“We believe this five-year partnership will change the mindset of our players and officials and help grow our cricket.”
That may have been the most important sentence spoken all day.
Infrastructure can be built. Equipment can be purchased.
But changing what people believe is possible often becomes the catalyst for lasting success.
A future already arriving
There is a quiet symbolism that Uganda ended the tour with a seven-wicket defeat after being bowled out for just 70 by Mumbai Triumph Knights NE.
On paper, it looked a disappointing finish. In reality, it underlined the very purpose of the exercise.
After eight matches across unfamiliar venues and conditions, the Cricket Cranes boarded their flight home with five victories, invaluable experience and a partnership that could shape the next generation.
Captain Fred Achelam perhaps summed it up best.
“As a team, we are really grateful for this opportunity. Win or lose, it is the process that matters. The boys are learning and improving.”
The numbers support him. Five wins from eight matches. A 4-0 sweep in the 50-over series. Young players exposed to pressure situations.
Senior players challenged against quality opposition. Most importantly, another layer added to Uganda’s preparation for future ICC events.
Uganda hopes to host a Mumbai representative side next year.
If that happens, young cricketers in Lugogo, Jinja, Soroti or Gulu may one day share dressing rooms with players raised in one of cricket’s greatest nurseries.
The Cricket Cranes may eventually forget the scorecard from Thane.
They will not forget standing shoulder-to-shoulder with one of cricket’s biggest cricket associations and hearing the words:
“Whenever you need us, please come back.’
For a country still writing its cricket story, that invitation could be the beginning of an entirely new chapter.
UGANDA’S TOUR OF MUMBAI
RESULTS – 50 OVERS
Uganda XI 221/10 | MCA Colts XI 166/10
Uganda XI won by 55 runs
Uganda XI 299/9 | MCA Colts XI 266/10
Uganda won by 33 runs
MCA Colts XI 56/10 | Uganda XI 58/1
Uganda XI won by 9 wickets
Uganda XI 194/10 | MCA Colts XI 141/10
Uganda XI won by 53 runs
Series Result: Uganda win 4-0
RESULTS – T20 GAMES
Uganda XI 112/10 | Mumbai Falcons 118/9
Mumbai Falcons won by 1 wicket
MCA Colts XI 133/9|Uganda XI 134/6
Uganda XI won by 4 wickets
Uganda XI 114/8 |MCA Colts XI 115/5
MCA Colts XI won by 5 wickets
Uganda XI 70/10 | Triumph Knights 74/3
Mumbai Triumph Knights NE won by 7 wickets
THE TALKING POINT
Hidden Gains. The scorecards show Uganda lost the T20 series 3-1. They also show a dominant 4-0 sweep in the 50-over format and an overall 5-3 tour victory. What they cannot measure is the value of competing in unfamiliar conditions, learning new systems and building relationships that may shape Ugandan cricket long after this tour is forgotten.