At the Mission Road Ground on October 30, 2026, Pakistan overhauled a target of 89 to beat India by four wickets in their Group C fixture of the Hong Kong Sixes 2026. The chase was completed in only 3.5 overs, with Pakistan finishing on 92 for two to move to the top of the group standings.
India had batted first and managed 88 for five across their six overs, a total that proved to be the lowest posted by any side on the opening day of the tournament. Shashank Singh was the lone bright spot with the bat, hammering 40 runs off 11 balls in a cameo that ultimately could not compensate for the top-order struggles that preceded it.
At the top of the order, Nitish Rana contributed 19 and Rahul Tripathi added just 9, and the pair were unable to build the kind of platform India required. Further down, skipper Krunal Pandya and Rahul Tewatia both came and went without registering any meaningful contribution, leaving Singh to shoulder the scoring burden almost alone.
How did Pakistan’s openers dismantle the chase?
Openers Khawaja Nafay and Abbas Afridi turned the chase into a formality within the first couple of overs. Nafay struck 41 off 12 balls while Afridi was even more destructive, making 35 off just 8 balls, and the pair combined for a 59-run opening stand across 13 balls that effectively settled the contest. Skipper Pandya bore the brunt of Afridi’s assault in the very first over of the chase, conceding five sixes as Pakistan raced to a position from which defeat was almost inconceivable.
Abdul Samad and Irfan Khan then completed the formalities without any real alarm, seeing Pakistan home with deliveries to spare. The result pushed India to the foot of Group C while Pakistan climbed to the summit. Earlier that same day, Pakistan had gone down by one wicket to UAE in their opening Group C game, making the margin and manner of this win particularly significant for their qualification prospects.
What must India do to stay in the tournament?
The Hong Kong International Sixes 2026 is scheduled across three days from October 30 to November 1, 2026, with 12 nations split into four groups of three. Within each group, every side faces the other two once, and only the group winner advances to the semi-finals. The final is set for November 1, 2026.
Group C comprises India, Pakistan and UAE. Having lost to Pakistan and sitting at the bottom of the group, India must defeat UAE in their final group outing on October 31, 2026, by a massive margin.
