Bhuvneshwar Kumar and all-rounder Krunal Pandya will return to the international spotlight as part of India’s squad for the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes. The tournament is scheduled to take place from October 30 to November 1 at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground. A total of 12 teams will participate in this year’s competition, with India placed in Group C alongside arch-rivals Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Bhuvneshwar has been named India’s captain for the tournament, adding another leadership role to his career after previously captaining Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and leading Sunrisers Hyderabad as a stand-in skipper in the IPL.
The veteran pacer made his India debut against Pakistan in a T20I in December 2012 and went on to represent the country across all three formats. However, his international career has been on hold for several years, with his last appearance coming against New Zealand in a T20I in November 2022.
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Alongside Bhuvneshwar and Krunal, India’s Hong Kong Sixes squad includes Nitish Rana, Shashank Singh, T Natarajan, Rahul Tewatia and Rahul Tripathi. All seven players remain active cricketers and featured in the 2026 IPL season. Three of them were also part of the IPL final.
STACKED! 🔥
Maximum format. Maximum firepower. Team India is locked, loaded, and ready to take over the Hong Kong Sixes! 🇮🇳💥
#TurnItUpToSix #HongKongSixes https://t.co/aNSKqkDfd1
— Cricket Hong Kong, China (@CricketHK) October 5, 2026
Bhuvneshwar’s selection will attract particular attention after his impressive 2026 IPL campaign. He finished as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker, leading to calls for his return to India’s white-ball setup. Despite those performances, the 36-year-old has yet to receive another India call-up.
Of the seven players selected for the Hong Kong Sixes, Rahul Tewatia and Shashank Singh are the only two who have not represented the senior India men’s team. Tewatia was included in India’s T20I squad for the England series in March 2021 but did not make his debut.
The draw is done. The battle lines are drawn. 📋🔥
Which group are you watching? Fixtures drop next 👀
#TurnItUpToSix #HongKongSixes https://t.co/6WbAWJmvDC
— Cricket Hong Kong, China (@CricketHK) October 2, 2026
Shashank, meanwhile, is yet to receive an India call-up. The Punjab Kings batter has been with the franchise for three seasons and currently serves as Shreyas Iyer’s deputy. Punjab Kings retained him for ₹5 crore ahead of the 2025 IPL mega auction.
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India will hope for a deeper run this time after their 2025 campaign ended early. They began with a two-run DLS victory over Pakistan before suffering defeats in their next matches. Pakistan enter the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes as defending champions. They defeated debutants Kuwait in last year’s final to secure their sixth title in the tournament’s history.
