Hong Kong Sixes 2026: Krunal Pandya to Lead India as Tournament Announces Full Squads and Groups

The Hong Kong Sixes 2026 is scheduled to begin on October 30, featuring 12 teams competing across 25 matches over three days at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. According to the tournament announcement, the competition will use a six-a-side, six-overs-per-innings format where every player except the wicketkeeper must bowl.

Tournament Structure and Groups

The 12 participating teams have been divided into four groups for the preliminary stage:

• Group A: Australia, Hong Kong, England
• Group B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Sri Lanka
• Group C: India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Group D: Afghanistan, South Africa, Oman

The format dictates that the winner of each group will advance directly to the tournament semifinals.

Opening Fixtures and Team Leadership

The tournament opens with a match between hosts Hong Kong and Australia. Confirmed team captains for the upcoming event include:

• India: Krunal Pandya
• Pakistan: Abbas Afridi
• Australia: Chris Green
• England: John Simpson
• Afghanistan: Gulbadin Naib
• Bangladesh: Abu Hider Rony
• Sri Lanka: Sangeeth Cooray
• Hong Kong, China: Yasim Murtaza
• South Africa: Ayabulela Gqamane
• UAE: Khalid Shah
• Scotland: Finlay McCreath
• Oman: Syed Aamir Kaleem

Full Squad Listings

• India: Krunal Pandya (c), Shashank Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, T. Natarajan, Kulwant Khejroliya
• Pakistan: Abbas Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Khawaja Nafay, Muhammad Shahzad, Saad Masood
• Australia: Chris Green (c), Jack Wood, Max Bryant, Nick Hobson, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Matt Kelly
• Hong Kong, China: Yasim Murtaza (c), Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath, Ehsan Khan, Aizaz Khan, Nizakat Khan, Nasrulla Rana
• Bangladesh: Abu Hider Rony (c), Sabbir Rahman, Habibur Rahman Sohan, Chowdhury Md Rizwan, Ahrar Amin, Md Samiun Basir Ratul, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury
• Sri Lanka: Sangeeth Cooray (c), Sachitha Jayatilake, Ravindu Fernando, Vishen Halambage, Movin Subasinghe, Muditha Lakshan, Chamindu Wijesinghe
• Afghanistan: Gulbadin Naib (c), Sedio Pacha, Imran Mir, Karim Janat, Nangeyalai Khan, Farmanullah Safi, Abdul Rahman
• South Africa: Ayabulela Gqamane (c), Jorich van Schalkwyk, Steve Stolk, Abdullah Bayoumy, Alindile Mhletywa, Heath Richards, Blake Simpson
• United Arab Emirates: Khalid Shah (c), Ansh Tandon, Maroof Merchant, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Zuhaib, Zahid Ali
• England: John Simpson (c), Edward Barnard, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Jack Carson, Martin Andersson, Daniel Mousley, Nathan Gilchrist
• Scotland: Finlay McCreath (c), Jasper Davidson, Jack Jarvis, Mackenzie Jones, Michael Leask, Lyle Robertson, Safyaan Sharif
• Oman: Syed Aamir Kaleem (c), Shafiq Jan, Usman Ali, Zohaib Amanat, Sami Hassan, Akbar Ali, Muhammad Muzahir

Practical Implications and Verification

Fans and observers can verify the official schedule, ticket information, and match timings through the official Hong Kong Sixes channels or tournament organizers. As matches are scheduled to begin on October 30, followers should check local broadcast listings for live coverage details.