Denmark beats Kenya by four wickets in ICC World Cup Qualifier League A

Denmark claimed a thrilling four-wicket victory over Kenya in the ongoing 2027 ICC World Cup Qualifier League A tournament at Nairobi Gymkhana on Sunday.

The tightly contested match saw the visitors chase down Kenya’s score of 268 runs with just three balls to spare.

Denmark won the toss and elected to bowl first, but it was their batting that shone, posting 272 runs for the loss of six wickets in 49.3 overs.

Zaheer Khan and Surya Anand led the charge for Denmark, each scoring 75 runs off 83 balls. Khan’s all-round performance earned him the Man of the Match award, with other notable contributions from Hamid Shah (51 off 77) and Taranjit Singh (35 off 44).

“It was a tough game for both sides, but we managed to pull it out in the dying moments. I’m happy with the award I have been accorded,” said Khan after receiving the Man of the Match honours.

Kenya, batting first under almost overcast skies, scored 268 runs in their allotted 50 overs, losing six wickets.

Rakep Patel starred for the hosts, narrowly missing a century by just 15 runs, scoring 85 off 70 balls. This marked the second time Patel fell just short of a century in the tournament.

Pushkar Sharma also made a strong contribution with 60 runs off 75 balls, while Sachin Bhudia (54 off 54) and Irfan Karim (31 off 71) were key players for the Kenyan side.

The tournament resumes on Tuesday with Kuwait facing Jersey and Qatar playing Papua New Guinea. Kenya will return to the pitch on Wednesday to face Kuwait.

This Qualifier League is a crucial stepping stone, with the top two teams progressing to the World Cup playoffs. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will co-host the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, while Kenya will host the ICC T20 World Cup African Qualifiers next month in Nairobi.