Bhuvneshwar Kumar named India captain for Hong Kong Sixes 2026

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, known as the "king of swing", has been out of the Indian team for a long time. He has now been named captain of the Indian side for the Hong Kong Sixes 2026, and the squad has also been announced.

India will take part in the tournament, to be held from October 30 to November 1, under Bhuvneshwar's captaincy. The seven-member team includes big IPL names such as Krunal Pandya and Nitish Rana. The official social media account of the Hong Kong Cricket Board announced the Indian team for the 2026 edition. With Bhuvneshwar and Krunal, the side looks strong. Shashank Singh, T Natarajan and Nitish Rana are other well-known IPL faces in the team.

The India squad is: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (captain), Krunal Pandya, Nitish Rana, Shashank Singh, T Natarajan, Rahul Tripathi and Rahul Tewatia.

The tournament holds special significance for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He last played for India in a T20 international against New Zealand in November 2022. He performed superbly in IPL 2026 and finished second in the list of leading wicket-takers. Calls for his return to the Indian white-ball team followed, but he has not been included so far. Krunal Pandya will also be part of India's campaign at the Hong Kong Sixes alongside Bhuvneshwar. Both play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.

The first edition of the Hong Kong Sixes was held in 1992. Its format is different. Matches are of six overs and each team has six players. Apart from the bowler and the wicketkeeper, there are four fielders on the field. Every player except the wicketkeeper must bowl one over. Only one bowler can bowl two overs. A team gets two points for a win. The rules are entirely different from those of an ordinary cricket match.

The tournament was held continuously until 2017 and then stopped. The Hong Kong Sixes resumed in 2024. This time the main tournament will begin on October 30 and the final will be played on November 1. All matches will start at 5:45 am.

A total of 12 teams will take part in the Hong Kong Sixes 2026, divided into four groups. India are in Group C, along with Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). All matches will be played at the Tin Kwang Road Recreation Ground. Group A has Australia, Hong Kong and England. Group B has Bangladesh, Scotland and Sri Lanka. Group D has South Africa, Oman and Afghanistan.