All-rounder Krunal Pandya and out-of-favour fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play for India in the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes competition, which will take place at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground from October 30 to November 1.
Bhuvneshwar, who has played for India in all three formats of the game since making his international debut against Pakistan in a T20I in December 2012, has been named India’s captain. Twelve teams will compete in this year’s tournament, with India grouped with bitter rivals Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates in Group C.
India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates have been assigned to Pool C. Third-place teams move on to the Bowl competition, second-place teams move on to the Plate semifinals, and pool winners move on to the Cup semifinals. Each innings lasts six overs, with one chosen bowler allowed to bowl two of those overs. Each team in the format consists of six players.
Reading India’s performance in the resurrected competition is challenging. Both times since the Hong Kong Sixes made a comeback in 2024, they have lost nine of their ten games in the group stage. They lost all three of their games and finished last in Pool C at the 2025 tournament. In 2005, they won their lone championship in the competition.
India’s team also includes Nitish Rana, Shashank Singh, T Natarajan, Rahul Tewatia, Rahul Tripathi, and Bhuvneshwar and Krunal, who play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. Each of the seven players who will play for India in this year’s Hong Kong Sixes is still active and has not given up on playing cricket internationally. All seven of them really participated in the 2026 IPL, and three of them even made it to the championship game.
