Bhuvneshwar Kumar to captain India at the Hong Kong Sixes, with Krunal Pandya and T Natarajan in a seven-man squad
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead India at the Hong Kong Sixes from 30 October to 1 November, after a strong IPL 2026 with title winners RCB.
Former India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will captain India at the Hong Kong Sixes, which runs from 30 October to 1 November. The seven-man squad was named on Monday, 5 October.
The squad
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (captain)
- Krunal Pandya
- Shashank Singh
- Nitish Rana
- T Natarajan
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rahul Tripathi
All except Shashank Singh have played international cricket for India.
Why Bhuvneshwar
The 36-year-old took 28 wickets in 16 matches in IPL 2026 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, including two wickets in the final as RCB beat Gujarat Titans to retain the title. He also took 14 wickets in 11 matches in the UP T20 League. With 229 international appearances (21 Tests, 121 ODIs and 87 T20Is), he is by far the most experienced player in the squad.
The format, and India’s record
Each side fields six players and each innings lasts six overs. India are in Pool C with Pakistan and the UAE. Pool winners go to the Cup semi-finals.
India have struggled since the tournament was revived in 2024, going out in the group stage both times and losing nine of their ten matches. Their only title came in 2005. The semi-finals are on 31 October and the final on 1 November.
Sources: Outlook India, CricTracker.
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