Team India side in Hong Kong Sixes 2026 will feature top IPL stars like Krunal Pandya, Nitish Rana, Shashank Singh and TNatarajan later this month.
Published: October 5, 2026, 2:07 PM IST
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar was leading wicket-taker for RCB in IPL 2026(Photo: IANS)
Hong Kong Sixes 2026: Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s last appearance in Team India colours was nearly four years back when he turned out in a T20I match against New Zealand in Napier in November 2022But the Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler will be seen leading an Indian side at 36 years of age in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament on October 30 and November 1.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was retained for Rs 10.75 crore by Virat Kohli’s RCB side ahead of IPL 2026, will be leading the Indian side packed with Indian Premier League stars like Krunal Pandya, Shashank Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi and TNatarajanApart from Punjab Kings star Shashank, all others have played for India.
A STRONG INDIAN TEAM FOR HONG KONG SIXES 2026
– Bhuvneshwar Kumar (C)
– Krunal Pandya
– Nitish Rana
– Shashank Singh
– TNatarajan
– Rahul Tripathi
– Rahul TewatiaTournament starts on October 30th https://t.co/fhnhT7g4UG
— Johns(@CricCrazyJohns) October 5, 2026
The squad brings together a mix of international experience, explosive batting, all-round ability and specialist bowling to one of cricket’s fastest formatWith only six players on the field, the Hong Kong Sixes will be a format where the cricketers will get little time to get their eye in.
Bhuvi was RCB’s leading wicket-taker in the IPL 2026 season, claiming 28 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 17.89RCB had gone on to claim back-to-back IPL titles earlier this year.
Bhuvneshwar brings years of international and IPL experience and the ability to make an impact with the new ballIn 87 T20I matches for Team India, Bhuvneshwar has claimed 90 wickets at an average of 23.1.
His RCB teammate Krunal Pandya, who was retained for Rs 5.75 crore ahead of IPL 2026, scored 226 runs at a strike-rate of 145.8 and picked up 14 wickets in 16 matches this year.
Former Kolkata Knight Riders captain Nitish Rana turned out for Delhi Capitals this year and will be at the top of the order, while Shashank Singh and Rahul Tewatia will bring to fore their finishing abilityTNatarajan providing a specialist left-arm pace option.
Anuraag Bhatnagar, Director of Marketing and Commercial, Cricket Hong Kong, China, said: “We are very grateful to the Indian cricket authorities for their support in helping us put together arguably one of the strongest sides that has represented India in the history of the SixesThis will surely prove to be a quantum leap forward in terms of viewership and further validation for this iconic tournament.”
Team India will return to the Hong Kong Sixes hoping to go deep into the competition after opening their 2025 campaign with a two-run DLS win over Pakistan, before exiting the tournament following defeats in their subsequent matches.
Pakistan will start the 2026 edition as defending champions, having defeated debutants Kuwait in last year’s final to claim a record sixth Hong Kong Sixes titleThis edition of the tournament will feature eight major cricketing nations alongside four Associate Members, setting the stage for three days of fast-paced cricket at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Hong Kong.
