Hong Kong Sixes 2026: Krunal Leads India; Pakistan Match on October 30

As of 26 October 2026, Krunal Pandya is the captain of India’s seven-player Hong Kong Sixes squad. The tournament organiser’s 17 October announcement said the change followed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s recall to India’s senior setup for the New Zealand tour. Kulwant Khejroliya replaced Bhuvneshwar in the Sixes squad. The update is also corroborated by India Today’s 17 October report and Rediff/PTI coverage.

This is a tournament squad for a six-a-side event. It should not be treated as India’s regular bilateral T20I XI or as a national-team T20I fixture.

The apparent roster contradiction comes from two dated announcements. On 5 October, the first release named Bhuvneshwar Kumar as captain. On 17 October, the organiser published the revised position: Bhuvneshwar’s senior India recall changed the Sixes captaincy to Krunal Pandya and brought Kulwant Khejroliya into the seven-player group. The official 17 October announcement gives the current position, while the earlier ANI report is historical context.

The New Zealand tour reference is separate from this tournament. Readers tracking that national-team schedule can use the India–New Zealand Christchurch T20I report; it does not change the Hong Kong Sixes format or fixture list.

The current seven-player India squad listed by the organiser is:

• Krunal Pandya (captain)
• Shashank Singh
• Rahul Tewatia
• Nitish Rana
• Rahul Tripathi
• T. Natarajan
• Kulwant Khejroliya

Khejroliya is the replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The list is a Hong Kong Sixes tournament roster, not a confirmed six-player match lineup. The organiser’s release uses “Natarajan”; T. Natarajan is used here for clarity, consistent with the corroborating reports.

Hong Kong Sixes 2026 is scheduled for 30 October to 1 November at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon. India’s confirmed Group C fixture is against Pakistan on Friday, 30 October, from 14:15 to 15:10 HKT, which is 11:45 to 12:40 IST. It is listed as Match 7 on the organiser’s official fixture page.

The 12 teams are arranged in four three-team groups:

• Group A: Australia; Hong Kong, China; England
• Group B: Bangladesh; Scotland; Sri Lanka
• Group C: Pakistan; UAE; India
• Group D: South Africa; Oman; Afghanistan

Here, “Hong Kong, China” is one team. Group A therefore has three entries, not separate Hong Kong and China teams. The opening match is Australia vs Hong Kong, China at 08:45 HKT on 30 October.

The event is a six-a-side cricket tournament. The organiser’s fixture page lists 12 teams and 25 matches across three days, with every team continuing into a placing pathway after the group stage. The competition uses Cup, Plate and Bowl routes to determine positions from first to 12th.

That structure matters when reading the India squad news. The seven names are a tournament roster, while a match uses six players per side; the roster should not be read as a fixed match lineup. Hong Kong Sixes participation should not be described as a T20 match, a T20I, or an award of T20I caps. The Hong Kong Tourism Board listing independently confirms the dates, Kowloon venue and 12-team event description.

Because the event is still ahead, readers should check the organiser’s current squad and fixture pages again if the article is read after 26 October. This preview does not predict a match lineup, result or qualification outcome.

For broader dated updates, visit the Vedik Exchange cricket news hub.