Rain denies Pakistan as India clinch narrow win in Hong Kong Sixes

HONG KONG: India defeated Pakistan by two runs in a rain-affected encounter of the ongoing Hong Kong Sixes 2025 at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok on Friday.

Chasing a target of 87, Pakistan got off to a fiery start as opener Khawaja Nafay flicked Abhimanyu Mithun’s delivery toward the leg side for a boundary after a couple of singles. 

Nafay then made room and smashed two consecutive sixes, putting early pressure on India with 18 runs coming off the first over.

Stuart Binny bowled the second over and was greeted with a six from Maaz Sadaqat, but he struck back immediately, dismissing the batter for seven off three balls. 

Abdul Samad joined Nafay and took a single, but Nafay missed 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. Pakistan reached 41-1 after three overs, needing 46 more runs from 18 balls.

However, rain interrupted play, and as per the DLS method, India were declared winners, having scored more runs at the same stage of their innings.

Earlier, batting first, India got off to a strong start, collecting 13 runs from Shahid Aziz’s opening over, with Robin Uthappa striking a six and a four.

Pakistan captain Abbas Afridi bowled the second over but proved expensive, conceding 21 runs as Bharat Chipli and Uthappa continued their aggressive start, taking India to 34 without loss after two overs.

Mohammad Shahzad came in for the third over and was immediately under pressure as Uthappa launched another six off his second ball. 

But Shahzad made a strong comeback, removing Uthappa for 28 off 12 deliveries, which included two fours and three sixes.

Binny joined Chipli but didn’t last long, dismissed by Shahzad after hitting one boundary. India stood at 46-2 in 2.5 overs. Skipper Dinesh Karthik then lifted the innings with a six, guiding India past the 50-run mark by the end of the third over.

Maaz Sadaqat bowled a disciplined fourth over, conceding just seven runs as India reached 58-2. 

In the penultimate over, Abdul Samad was taken apart by Chipli, who struck two fours and a six before falling for 24 off 13 balls. India finished that over at 73-3.

In the final over, Maaz returned to bowl and was hit for a boundary by Mithun, followed by a single. 

Karthik smashed a six off the third ball, but Mithun failed to connect the next two and was run out on the last delivery, leaving India at 86-4 at the end of their innings.