Kenya Women’s Cricket Team Qualifies for 2026 ICC T20 World Cup

The Kenya Women’s National Cricket Team, the *Lionesses*, secured historic qualification for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa after finishing second at the Africa Qualifier in Gaborone on February 28, 2025. Led by captain Queentor Abel (68* off 49 vs Namibia) and teenage spinner Eunice Nderitu (4/12), Kenya defeated Zimbabwe in a rain-affected final via DLS method. This marks Kenya’s first-ever ICC global tournament appearance in women’s cricket. Celebrations erupted at the Mombasa Sports Club, where the team trained despite limited resources. Cricket Kenya announced a KSh 80 million investment in girls’ academies in Kakamega, Kisumu, and Meru. ICC Africa hailed Kenya’s remarkable turnaround after years of governance challenges.