The Hong Kong Sixes 2025 tournament began with a thrilling start at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground on Friday. Pakistan immediately made their presence known, with captain Abbas Afridi hitting eight sixes in a 12-ball fifty, leading his team to a four-wicket victory over Kuwait before their highly anticipated match against Team India later in the day.
The Pool C match between Pakistan and Kuwait was among the most exciting of the day. Kuwait, debuting in the tournament, impressed with a strong score of 123/2, featuring an unbeaten 40 off 14 balls from Meet Bhavsar and 31 not out off 9 balls from Usman Patel.
What exactly happened?
Facing a steep climb, Pakistan required 67 runs from the final two overs, but captain Abbas Afridi ignited a stunning comeback, hammering six sixes in the penultimate over against Yasin Patel. Afridi remained undefeated with a score of 55 off just 12 balls, while Shahid Aziz added 23 not out off 5, leading Pakistan to an astonishing last-ball victory, finishing at 124/1.
In Pool D, the defending champions, Sri Lanka, played against hosts Hong Kong, China, in a match that was largely dominated by one team. Sri Lanka was held to a score of 79/5 in their six overs, as Hong Kong’s bowlers consistently applied pressure. The hosts then comfortably pursued and achieved the target in 3.4 overs, securing a win by eight wickets.
Captain Yasim Murtaza spearheaded the charge, remaining unbeaten with 26 runs from 8 balls, while Aizaz Khan smashed 44 not out off a mere 10 balls to secure a comprehensive victory. This marked Hong Kong’s first full match after their initial game was called off due to rain.
In Pool A, Afghanistan triumphed over Nepal by 17 runs in a thrilling encounter. Afghanistan set a score of 112/5 in six overs, fueled by Karim Janat’s 35 off 10 balls and an undefeated 30 off 9 balls from Farmanullah Safi. Nepal’s Rashid Khan achieved a memorable hat-trick, yet it was insufficient, as his team could only muster 95/2 in response, despite captain Sundeep Jora’s explosive 53 off 14 deliveries.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s opening match between Bangladesh and Hong Kong, China, along with the game between UAE and England, were both called off due to rain.