Hong Kong Sixes: India lost to UAE and England, to play against Bangladesh for 11th place
Hong Kong, Oct 31 (IANS) India had a day to forget at the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes on Saturday – going down to the UAE in their final group game and then losing a Bowl semi-final to England by three runs. Krunal Pandya’s side will now take on Bangladesh in the 11th-12th place playoff on Sunday.
In the final Group C match, UAE’s Zahid Ali took three early wickets to reduce India to 14/3. Rahul Tripathi (24) and Krunal (15 off 8 balls) offered brief resistance before T Natarajan smashed an unbeaten 38 off 14 balls, with three fours and four sixes, to lift India to 94/6.
In reply, UAE had a stroll in the park. Captain Khalid Shah (who hit an unbeaten 52 off 14 balls, with six sixes) and Ansh Tandon (not out on 39 off 12 balls) hammered 25 off the first over and wrapped up the chase in 4.2 overs without losing a wicket. UAE moved into the Cup semi-finals, while the defeat relegated India to the Bowl phase of the competition.
The Bowl semi-final against England had its moments too. England made 124/2, with Martin Andersson smashing 51 off 13 balls and Ed Barnard an unbeaten 35 off 14 deliveries. Tripathi hit back with 56 off 14 balls, including seven sixes, and Krunal chipped in with 28 off 7 balls, but India fell three runs short to end up at 121.
South Africa won the other Bowl semi-final off the last ball against Bangladesh. Habibur Rahman smashed 60 off 14 balls, including six consecutive sixes off Blake Simpson in the fourth over that cost 36 runs, as Bangladesh posted 129/4. Jorich van Schalkwyk’s 50 off 13 balls kept the chase alive, while Ayabulela Gqamane hit four sixes in a row off Abu Hider.
Van Schalkwyk closed the deal with three sixes and a four in the last over, as South Africa will meet England in the Bowl final. The Cup final, meanwhile, will be between Australia and Afghanistan. Australia beat UAE by 53 runs, with Max Bryant (60 off 15 balls) and Nick Hobson (53 off 11 balls) doing the early damage, before Chris Green and Alex Ross took two wickets each.
Afghanistan then saw off Scotland by 21 runs, with captain Gulbadin Naib leading from the front with an unbeaten 51 off 16 balls For Scotland, Jack Jarvis made 54 off 17 balls. Earlier, Afghanistan had chased 121 against Oman in 5.2 overs. Sediqullah Pacha struck an unbeaten 45 off 10 balls and Farmanullah Safi hit an unbeaten 37 off 11 balls.
Pacha then took 22 runs off Aamir Kaleem in the fourth over and 30 runs off Shafiq Jan in the fifth. Oman had posted 120/4 on the back of Usman Ali’s unbeaten 71 off 17 balls, with 10 sixes, and went into the Plate semis.
Scotland entered the Cup semis by beating Sri Lanka by 26 runs, with Michael Leask smashing an unbeaten 70 off 15 balls with 10 sixes. Jasper Davidson then took three wickets in the fourth over to keep Sri Lanka to 118/3.
In the Plate semi-finals, Oman chased 93 against Sri Lanka in 4.4 overs, with Zohaib Amanat making an unbeaten 43 off 13 balls and Usman Ali 46 off 14 balls. Pakistan then beat hosts Hong Kong, China by six wickets.
Captain Abbas Afridi slammed 55 off 13 balls, with seven sixes, in an opening stand of 90 with Khawaja Nafay (34 off 10 balls), as Pakistan hunted down 107. Oman will meet Pakistan in the Plate final. The finals and playoffs will be played on Sunday.
–IANS
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