[Watch] Uganda celebrate maiden T20 World Cup win with special victory dance
Uganda celebrated their historic maiden T20 World Cup win with a special victory dance in Guyana on June 5. Playing in their first-ever World Cup, the side upstaged Papua New Guinea in a low-scoring thriller in the penultimate over by three wickets.
After the bowlers did a commendable job by restricting Papua New Guinea to a paltry 77 all-out, the Uganda batters made heavy weather out of a seemingly straightforward run-chase. However, they finally completed the task with a deuce off the second ball of the 19th over to set off wild celebrations.
Following the post-match activities, the Uganda players and the support staff performed a special dance to celebrate the win.
Here is a video of the same:
Uganda enjoyed a terrific all-round performance with the ball as four bowlers picked up two wickets each.
Yet, they were in dire straits at 26-5 in their run-chase before middle-order batter Riazat Ali Shah steadied the ship with a crucial 33 off 56 deliveries. His partnership of 35 for the sixth wicket with Juma Miyagi, who scored a 16-ball 13, was pivotal for Uganda to cross the line.
"Doesn't get more special than this" - Uganda skipper Brian Masaba
Uganda skipper Brian Masaba was delighted with the side's maiden T20 World Cup triumph and credited the players' hard work over the last three to four years.
The side pipped Zimbabwe in the African qualifiers to advance to the Main Event as one of the two teams, with the other being Namibia.
After their historic win, Masaba said at the post-match presentation:
"Pretty special win for us, first win at the World Cup. Doesn't get more special than this. Super proud of this group of guys, put in the work, to get a win for their country at the World Cup is very special. It's been quite a journey, 3-4 years of very hard work both by the players and the board back home to make this happen. Getting to the World Cup was very special, this is even more special."
Uganda suffered a massive defeat in their 2024 T20 World Cup opener against Afghanistan by 125 runs. However, victory over Papua New Guinea means they are now third on the Group C points table.
Uganda will take on co-hosts West Indies in their next encounter in Guyana on Saturday, June 8.