# Rwanda women's national cricket team

The Rwanda women's national cricket team is the team that represents Rwanda in international women's cricket.

## History

Rwanda's women's team first played in 2007, playing two matches against Uganda in December of that year, before participating in the 2008–09 East African Women's Championship. Since 2014 the country has hosted the Kwibuka T20 Tournament annually.
In March 2018, Cricket Builds Hope - a charity focused on the use the sport as a tool for social change in Rwanda - commenced the Women's Empowerment Programme, a multi-year project aiming to use cricket to help develop leadership skills amongst women from low-income families in Kigali.
In April 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted full Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Rwanda women and other ICC members since 1 July 2018 have been full WT20Is.
Rwanda played their first WT20I on 26 January 2019, during a five-match series against Nigeria.
In the 2019 ICC Development Awards, recognising advancement of the sport in Associate and Affiliate nations, Rwanda received two of the six awards available: Female Participation Programme of the Year, and Associate Member Women's Performance of the Year.
In December 2020, the ICC announced the qualification pathway for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Rwanda were named in the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier regional group, alongside ten other teams. Rwanda finished third in their group after winning three of their five matches, failing to progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.

## Records and statistics

International Match Summary — Rwanda Women
Last updated 2 November 2024
Playing Record :
| Format | M | W | L | T | NR | Inaugural Match |
| Twenty20 Internationals | 98 | 56 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 26 January 2019 |

### Twenty20 International

* Highest team total: 246/1 v Mali, 21 June 2019, at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium.
* Highest individual score: 114*, Marie Bimenyimana v Mali, 21 June 2019, at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, Kigali and Gisele Ishimwe v Eswatini, 12 September 2021, at Botswana Cricket Association Oval, Gaborone.
* Best individual bowling figures: 5/3, Marie Bimenyimana v Malawi, 31 May 2024, at Gahanga B Ground, Kigali.
| Player | Runs | Average | Career span |
| Gisele Ishimwe | 1,448 | 19.05 | 2019–2024 |
| Marie Bimenyimana | 1,156 | 16.51 | 2019–2024 |
| Henriette Ishimwe | 1,026 | 15.54 | 2019–2024 |
| Sarah Uwera | 522 | 10.65 | 2019–2024 |
| Merveille Uwase | 498 | 15.09 | 2022–2024 |
| Player | Wickets | Average | Career span |
| Henriette Ishimwe | 116 | 10.43 | 2019–2024 |
| Marie Bimenyimana | 64 | 11.56 | 2019–2024 |
| Rosine Irera | 57 | 10.56 | 2023–2024 |
| Alice Ikuzwe | 54 | 11.68 | 2019–2024 |
| Margueritte Vumiliya | 52 | 12.67 | 2019–2023 |
| Belise Murekatete | 52 | 13.90 | 2019–2024 |
Records complete to WT20I #2121. Last updated 2 November 2024.
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First match | First win |
| ICC Full members ||||||||
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 May 2019 | |
| ICC Associate members ||||||||
| Botswana | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 June 2021 | 6 June 2021 |
| Brazil | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 June 2022 | 10 June 2022 |
| Cameroon | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 March 2023 | 31 March 2023 |
| Eswatini | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 September 2021 | 12 September 2021 |
| Gambia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 April 2022 | 1 April 2022 |
| Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 June 2022 | 12 June 2022 |
| Ghana | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 March 2022 | 28 March 2022 |
| Kenya | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 June 2021 | 19 April 2023 |
| Lesotho | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 April 2024 | 22 April 2024 |
| Malawi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 May 2024 | 31 May 2024 |
| Mali | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 June 2019 | 18 June 2019 |
| Mozambique | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 May 2019 | 8 May 2019 |
| Namibia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 June 2021 | |
| Nigeria | 25 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 26 January 2019 | 28 January 2019 |
| Sierra Leone | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 March 2022 | 30 March 2022 |
| Tanzania | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 May 2019 | 22 April 2023 |
| Uganda | 11 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 19 June 2019 | 17 June 2023 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 April 2023 | |

## Current squad

Updated as on 26 April 2024
This lists all the players who played for Rwanda in the past 12 months or named in the most recent squad.
| Name | Age | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
| Batters |||||
| Marie Bimenyimana | 28 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Clarisse Uwase | 23 | Left-handed | Left-arm medium | |
| Gisele Ishimwe | 20 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Merveille Uwase | 19 | Right-handed | - | |
| Shakila Niyomuhoza | 19 | Right-handed | - | |
| Cathia Uwamahoro | 31 | Right-handed | - | |
| Liliane Ufitinema | 17 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| All-rounders |||||
| Henriette Ishimwe | 22 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Alice Ikuzwe | 26 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Flora Irakoze | 24 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | Captain & Wicket-keeper |
| Georgette Ingabire | 22 | Left-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Spin Bowlers |||||
| Rosine Irera | 20 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| Marie Tumukunde | 21 | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | |
| Rosette Shimwamana | 18 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| Pace Bowlers |||||
| Belise Murekatete | 20 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Josiane Nyirankundineza | 24 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Immaculee Muhawenimana | 26 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Devotha Uwizeya | | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Nadine Nzayituriki | 19 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |