HONG KONG: India defeated Pakistan by two runs in a rain-shortened encounter of the Hong Kong Sixes 2025 at the Mission Road Ground, Mong Kok, on Friday.
Chasing a target of 87 in six overs, Pakistan reached 41-1 after three overs before rain halted play. Under the DLS method, India were awarded the win for having achieved a higher score at the same stage of their innings.
Pakistan started strongly as opener Khawaja Nafay steered Abhimanyu Mithun’s delivery to the leg side for an early boundary after a couple of singles.
Nafay created some space for himself and hit two back-to-back sixes, putting pressure on India with 18 runs scored in the first over.
In the second over, Maaz Sadaqat hit Stuart Binny for six runs but the veteran pacer quickly took revenge by dismissing Sadaqat for seven runs off just three balls.
Abdul Samad came in to join Nafay and scored a single, while Nafay struggled to connect on the next three deliveries, leaving Pakistan at 25-1 after two overs.
Shahbaz Nadeem was introduced in the third over and conceded 16 runs as Nafay hit a four and a six to keep the chase alive. However, the rain washed away Pakistan’s hopes.
Earlier, batting first, India were restricted to 86 on a ground where even 110 or more were being chased. Openers Robin Uthappa and Bharat Chipli managed to score 34 runs in just two overs.
Uthappa made 28 off 12 balls with three sixes and two fours before he was dismissed by Mohammad Shahzad, who hit back strongly after an expensive start.
Shahzad also removed Binny, reducing India to 46-2.
Skipper Dinesh Karthik and Chipli steadied the innings, with Chipli scoring 24 off 13 before falling in the penultimate over.
Karthik added a six in the final over to guide India to 86-4. Despite India’s good start, Pakistan’s bowlers – particularly Shahzad and Maaz Sadaqat – regained control in the later overs to restrict the total.
In the first match, Pakistan defeated Kuwait in a last-ball thriller thanks to skipper Abbas Afridi’s match-winning fifty, who also hit six sixes in an over.
At one point, Pakistan needed 67 off 12 deliveries, prompting Afridi to play a blind spot. He remained unbeaten on 55 off just twelve balls, hitting a total of eight sixes along with his six sixes in an over.
Shahid Aziz provided valuable support and scored 23 not out from just five balls to seal the victory.
Chasing Kuwait’s total of 123, Pakistan reached the target off the last delivery to claim victory.
