Krunal Pandya to captain India at Hong Kong Sixes, replacing Bhuvneshwar Kumar

There has been a big change in the Indian team ahead of the Hong Kong Sixes 2026. Krunal Pandya will now captain Team India in the tournament. When the squad was announced a few days ago, the experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar had been named captain.

Circumstances then changed. The BCCI picked the Indian team for the T20 International series against New Zealand, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's name was among those selected. He will be busy on the New Zealand tour and so cannot play in the Hong Kong Sixes. Krunal Pandya has been given the captaincy in his place. The player who replaces Bhuvneshwar has also now been officially named.

The India-New Zealand series begins on 22 October, while the Sixes start on 30 October. Once Bhuvneshwar was selected for the senior Indian team, his exclusion from the Sixes was a foregone conclusion.

Hong Kong Cricket has now officially announced that Krunal Pandya will lead the Indian team. In a statement, Krunal said, "Hong Kong, namaste. I am Krunal Pandya, captain of the Indian team. Twelve teams will play for one trophy in the three-day tournament. We have come to win this trophy. The matches will be six overs each. Come and watch us play."

Hong Kong Cricket has announced Kulwant Khejroliya as Bhuvneshwar Kumar's replacement. The 34-year-old Kulwant is a fast bowler and will take Bhuvneshwar's place in Team India. He has played nine IPL matches so far and has taken six wickets. He has been part of successful teams such as RCB, KKR and GT.

The left-arm fast bowler plays for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket. In his T20 career he has played 27 matches and taken 27 wickets. He will now be seen in the Team India jersey at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026.

The new Team India squad for the Hong Kong Sixes is: Krunal Pandya (captain), Nitish Rana, Shashank Singh, T Natarajan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Rahul Tripathi and Rahul Tewatia.