MCA, Cricket Uganda sign MOU to facilitate exposure tours

MCA secretary Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar (left), president Ajinkya Naik and Cricket Uganda chief Jackson Kavuma (right) in Thane on Tuesday

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and Cricket Uganda (CU) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tuesday, facilitating matches against each other in Mumbai and Uganda throughout the year. MCA president Ajinkya Naik and secretary Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar signed the documents along with CU chief Jackson Kavuma at the Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane.

The Uganda national team is currently in Mumbai for an exposure tour of four one-day games and as many T20 matches against different teams. Khanvilkar revealed that MCA are thinking of having the Mumbai team's upcoming preparatory camp in Uganda to avoid Mumbai's rainy season.

"Uganda Cricket officials told us that they have a cricket season for all 12 months and also offered their facility during our off-season. So, we may send our teams to Uganda during the off-season [June to August] to prepare for the domestic season. As part of this MOU, Uganda's national cricket team play matches in Mumbai while we are planning to send the Emerging Mumbai team to Uganda next year," Khanvilkar told mid-day on Tuesday.

MCA chief Naik revealed that ICC chairman Jay Shah played a key role in initiating this MOU. "He [Shah] had requested us to host the Uganda team. It's a privilege to host a national team here in Mumbai and it will help our players get exposure too. Our bench strength needs exposure and that's the reason why both our men's and women's teams are traveling to the UK this year and Uganda is an additional opportunity," Naik said.

Surya likely to play vs Uganda

India's 2026 T20 World Cup-winning captain and Mumbai Indians's batter Suryakumar Yadav, who has had a tough IPL-19 season (scoring just 270 runs) recently, is likely to start his T20 Mumbai League preparations by playing against Uganda on Saturday. The T20 Mumbai League begins on June 1.

"Uganda will be playing a T20 practice match against Suryakumar's T20 team [Triumph Knights], so he is likely to play that practice match," Khanvilkar told mid-day on Tuesday. Former Kenya captain Steve Tikolo, who is the head coach of Uganda national team, is also in Mumbai.