Latest news with #AlpeshRamjani
South China Morning Post
13-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
‘Nervous' Hong Kong's ODI and World Cup hopes hurt by collapse in Uganda defeat
'Nervous' Hong Kong were outplayed in a bruising 76-run loss to Uganda on Thursday that has left their ODI and 2027 World Cup hopes dangling by a thread. Chasing 277 to win at Kowloon Cricket Club, Hong Kong collapsed from 38 for 0 to 56 for five in a catastrophic 10.4-over spell. Uganda's Alpesh Ramjani, who started the procession when he trapped Martin Coetzee in front, claimed four for 18, to add to his rollicking 68 with the bat. While jubilant Uganda strengthened their grip on Cricket World Cup Challenge League B's top spot, Hong Kong were left to consider the ramifications of what Simon Willis, the head coach, called 'a disappointing day at the office'. Willis refused to label Sunday's meeting with second-placed Italy a 'must win', but defeat against the team that thumped them by 155 runs in November's opening leg would, in all probability, condemn Hong Kong to one-day international exile for another five years. Hong Kong had comfortably beaten Singapore and Bahrain, before Wednesday's match against whipping-boys Tanzania was abandoned. And Willis suspected the raised stakes against top-two rivals Uganda had 'played on some people's minds'.
South China Morning Post
07-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
India cricket stars backing Uganda during Hong Kong Challenge League campaign
Uganda cricketer Alpesh Ramjani has revealed that a handful of Indian superstars will cheer on his team during their Challenge League B campaign in Hong Kong. Ramjani, who was in the 2023 ICC T20 Internationals team of the year after claiming a record 55 wickets in a single calendar year, moved to Uganda in 2021 after his construction job in India became a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. The slow-left-arm bowler was instrumental in Uganda's qualification for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was won by an India team featuring his former domestic cricket teammates Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube. The global tournament, where Uganda won one of their four matches, was especially poignant for Ramjani, 30, who lost his father, Ravilal, in January last year after a long illness. 'Dad was the one who was always inspiring me to reach the highest level,' Ramjani said. 'He watched all the qualification matches, but he could not watch me at the World Cup. His blessings are still with me and I am always motivated to do well for him.' Ramjani's economy rate of 4.75 from 54 T20Is, since his 2022 debut, is second in the world only to the 4.69 of 44-year-old teammate Frank Nsubuga.
