New Delhi: The action at the Hong Kong Sixes 2025 resumed on Saturday at the Tim Kwong Road Recreation Ground and brought with it another thrilling day of high-scoring encounters, six-a-side clashes with Australia and Pakistan stamping their authority to reach the semifinals. However, for India it turned out to be a tough outing as the team endured three consecutive defeats that pushed them out of contention for the Cup stage.
India’s campaign began with a crucial Pool C match against Kuwait. A do-or-die fixture that ended in disappointment. When chasing a target of 107, the Men in Blue faltered and were bundled out for 79/6. They fell short of 27 runs. Kwait’s Yasin Patel played a key role with the ball, picking up three wickets for just 23 runs. The loss meant India finished third in their group behind Kuwait and Pakistan, who advanced to the quarterfinals. India, meanwhile, were relegated to the Bowl stage.
India’s struggle deepen in Bowl stage
Moving into the Bowl stage, India hoped for a turnaround but their luck failed to change. While against the UAE, Abhimanyu Mithun’s half-century and Dinesh Kartik’s 42 off 14 balls produced fireworks with the bat to lift India to 108. However, their bowlers couldn’t defend the total as UAE’s Khalid Shah hammered a blistering 50 off just 14 deliveries, taking his first team home with four wickets in hand.
India’s final match of the day against Nepal proved to be the most one-sided contest. Nepal’s batters were unstoppable as they racked up a massive 137 without loss in just six overs. Rashid Khan led the charge with a quickfire 55 off 17 balls before returning to torment India with the ball, claiming 3/7. In reply, India’s batting collapsed to 45/6, suffering a 92-run defeat ending their day with three defeats.
🚨 Nepal defeated India by 92 runs in the Hong Kong Sixes! 🤯🇳🇵🇮🇳#HongKongSixes pic.twitter.com/LNT87Wre1H
— ICC Asia Cricket (@ICCAsiaCricket) November 8, 2025
Australia and Pakistan cruise into semifinals
While India’s struggle continues, Australia and Pakistan showcased their dominance in the quarterfinals. Aussies outplayed Bangladesh by 54 runs. On the other hand, Pakistan cruised past South Africa, completing the task in just 3.5 overs.
With both Australia and Pakistan looking in red-hot form, the two sides are now set to face each other in the first semifinal on November 9. Meanwhile, India will look to salvage some pride in their bowl fixture against Sri Lanka.