India Names Seven-Man Squad for Hong Kong Sixes 2026 with Bhuvneshwar as Captain

India has announced its squad for the Hong Kong Sixes 2026, a six-a-side cricket tournament scheduled from October 30 to November 1 at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Hong Kong. The team will be captained by 36-year-old pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, marking his return to international cricket after an absence since November 2022. The squad comprises seven Indian Premier League 2026 players: Krunal Pandya (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Shashank Singh (Punjab Kings), Rahul Tewatia (Gujarat Titans), Nitish Rana (Delhi Capitals), Rahul Tripathi (Kolkata Knight Riders), and T. Natarajan (Delhi Capitals).

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a veteran of 229 international appearances across 21 Tests, 121 ODIs, and 87 T20Is, was a key contributor to Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2026 championship win. Despite recent success in the IPL, he had been absent from India's white-ball international teams. The squad selection emphasizes aggressive batting and all-round capabilities suited to the fast-paced six-a-side format, where only six players take the field per team and bowlers typically deliver one over each. According to Anurag Bhatnagar, Director of Marketing and Commercial at Cricket Hong Kong, the squad represents "arguably one of the strongest sides that has represented India in the history of the Sixes."

India has been grouped with Pakistan and the UAE in Pool C. This marks India's third consecutive appearance in the tournament. The team's previous editions have yielded disappointing results: in 2025, India defeated Pakistan by two runs via DLS method but lost its remaining matches and crashed out at the group stage. Overall, India has won only one Hong Kong Sixes title (2005) and lost nine of ten matches across the last two editions (2024 and 2025). Pakistan enters as defending champions, having won their record sixth title in 2025 by defeating Kuwait in the final. The 2026 edition will feature 12 teams divided into four pools, with JSW Sports serving as the commercial partner for the first time.