Pakistan beat India by four wickets at the Hong Kong Sixes on Friday, October 30, 2026, chasing 89 in 3.5 overs to reach 91 for 2 at Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. The win put Pakistan on top of Group C, but it did not put Pakistan through. Pakistan have played both group matches, so the group will be decided on Saturday, October 31, when the United Arab Emirates play India.
That is the twist. The points table lists Pakistan first, but the tournament release says that if all three teams finish level on points, the team that has hit the most sixes will take the Cup category place. Pakistan start Saturday with 23 sixes from two matches, against 12 for the UAE from one match and seven for India from one match.
The chase in 23 balls
Pakistan won the toss and chose to field. India reached 88 for 5 in six overs, with Shashank Singh scoring 40 from 11 balls, including five sixes and two fours. Nitish Rana made 19 from 14 balls before retiring out, and Abdul Samad took two wickets for 10 runs, including captain Krunal Pandya and Rahul Tewatia for ducks.
The chase was settled in the first two overs. Pakistan’s Hong Kong Sixes squad announcement named Abbas Afridi as captain, and he led from the front. Afridi hit five consecutive sixes off Pandya in the first over, after a single off the first ball, as the over cost 31 runs. Khawaja Nafay took 28 runs off T. Natarajan in the second over, and Pakistan were 59 without loss after two overs. Shashank dismissed Afridi for 35 from eight balls, and Tewatia dismissed Nafay for 41 from 12 balls. Irfan Khan hit a six off his only ball to finish the match, with Abdul Samad seven not out from three balls. Afridi was named player of the match.
The morning defeat that changed the maths
Friday had started badly. Pakistan posted 106 in the opening match, with Afridi scoring 53 from 13 balls and Abdul Samad making 39 from 15 balls. The UAE chased 109 for 5, winning by one wicket off the last ball, as captain Khalid Shah scored 71 from 20 balls.
That result is why the India win could not settle the group. Only the group winner advances, and the morning loss left Pakistan with no match left to control. Every later calculation runs through Saturday’s match.
The table that misleads
After Friday, Pakistan lead Group C with two points from two matches, one win and one defeat. The UAE also have two points, from one win in one match, and India have no points after one defeat. The published net run rates are plus 3.617 for Pakistan, plus 0.500 for the UAE and minus 9.072 for India.
Those rates look like a cushion, but they are not the tiebreaker in the tournament release. If India beat the UAE on Saturday, all three teams finish on two points, and sixes hit will decide the Cup place. Pakistan’s 23 sixes are fixed. The UAE need at least 12 more sixes on Saturday to move past 23, and India need at least 17 more.
Three ways Saturday can end
First, a UAE win. The UAE would finish with four points, win Group C outright, and Pakistan would be out, whatever the sixes count says.
Second, an India win in which neither side passes Pakistan’s sixes total. All three teams finish on two points, Pakistan stay ahead on 23 sixes, and Pakistan take the group.
Third, an India win in which the UAE or India pass 23 sixes. If India pass the mark, India take the group. If the UAE pass the mark while losing, the UAE would still take the group on sixes, even though they lost the match that created the tie. On Saturday, the sixes count can matter more than the result, once the points are level.
What Pakistan must watch on October 31
Watch the sixes count first, not just the score. A six heavy match helps the side chasing Pakistan’s total, even if that side ends up losing the game. India need a win and a sixes haul.
The tournament runs until November 1, with the final scheduled for that day at Mission Road Ground. If Pakistan survive Saturday, their next step will be a semi-final as group winners. If they do not, their title defence will end without another group match. October has already been a busy month for Pakistan sport, including Salman Agha’s 107 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan reaching the Sultan of Johor Cup final on goals scored. This group, however, will not be decided by Pakistan at all. Follow more sports news from Pakistan for the Saturday result and the final sixes count.
