In the fourth Rwanda T20 Tri Nations Cup 2025 match, Bahrain presented an all round powerful display to crush Malawi by nine wickets with almost 5 overs to spare.
Malawi’s Innings
Batting first, Malawi scored 139/7 in the 20 overs that were allocated to them. Their captain, Sami Sohail was the main man of the innings, scoring a gritty 60 runs off 52 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes. He was well supported by opener Aaftab Limdawala, who contributed a brisk 45 off 39 deliveries. However, once Limdawala was dismissed in the 12th over with the score at 78, Malawi’s innings began to lose momentum. The middle and lower order failed to capitalise, with Donnex Kansonkho, Phillip Zuze and others falling cheaply. Bright Balala and Trust Makaya remained not out, scoring 1 and 4 runs respectively.
Bahrain’s bowlers were disciplined and effective, never allowing Malawi to maintain the scoring rate. Abdul Majid Malik stood out with a economical spell of 4 overs, conceding just 18 runs and picking up one wicket. Asif Ali and Rizwan Butt were also among the wicket takers, while Imran Anwar and two sharp run-outs further contributed to Malawi’s restricted total. The bowling unit executed their plans well, sharing the workload evenly and keeping the pressure on throughout the innings.
Bahrain’s Innings
In reply, Bahrain’s batting order easily chased the target, reaching 140/1 in only 15.1 overs. The opening partnership of Asif Ali & Prashant Kurup capitalised the powerplay to it’s maximum and took the game away from Malawi. Asif Ali was the star of the chase as he remained not out and was the highest scorer of the match which also got him the man of the match. Fiaz Ali also played his part and remained unbeaten by scoring 41.
This victory again declared Bahrain’s dominance in the championship, as they outplayed Malawi in every department. Malawi will be left frustrated with the failure to capitalize on the foundation provided by their opening order, while Bahrain’s all-round performance both with the bat and the ball, delivered a strong message. Though, the team lost the game, Sami Sohail’s courageous batting effort was a silver lining for Malawi, but Bahrain had the easy and dominating win.