Pakistan arrive in Mong Kok as defending champions, India bring an IPL-heavy seven, and the two meet on Friday 30 October at 06:15 UK time. Set an alarm, because this tournament starts well before breakfast in Britain, with the first ball at 00:45.
Cricket Insider UK has the full Hong Kong Sixes 2026 schedule in UK time, plus the pools, captains and rules. England sit in Pool A with Australia and the hosts, and open against Hong Kong at 04:25, so here’s what you need before then.
Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Schedule and UK Start Times
The 22nd edition runs from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026 at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. UK clocks went back on 25 October, so UK time is GMT all weekend. India against Pakistan is the headline game on day one.
Friday 30 October: Nine Pool Matches Open the Tournament
Every side plays just two pool games, so opening day is packed. Here are all nine fixtures in UK, Hong Kong and India time.
| UK Time (GMT) | Hong Kong Time | India Time (IST) | Match | Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:45 | 08:45 | 06:15 | Australia v Hong Kong | A |
| 01:40 | 09:40 | 07:10 | Bangladesh v Scotland | B |
| 02:35 | 10:35 | 08:05 | Pakistan v UAE | C |
| 03:30 | 11:30 | 09:00 | South Africa v Oman | D |
| 04:25 | 12:25 | 09:55 | Hong Kong v England | A |
| 05:20 | 13:20 | 10:50 | Bangladesh v Sri Lanka | B |
| 06:15 | 14:15 | 11:45 | India v Pakistan | C |
| 07:10 | 15:10 | 12:40 | South Africa v Afghanistan | D |
| 08:05 | 16:05 | 13:35 | England v Australia | A |
(Source: Hong Kong Sixes 2026 fixture list)
Saturday brings the last three pool games and then the first knockout round.
Saturday 31 October: Final Pool Games and Six Semi-Finals
Oman meet Afghanistan, Scotland face Sri Lanka and UAE take on India before the semi-finals begin. Pool winners head into the Cup, runners up into the Plate and third placed sides into the Bowl.
| UK Time (GMT) | Hong Kong Time | India Time (IST) | Match | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:45 | 08:45 | 06:15 | Oman v Afghanistan | Pool D |
| 01:40 | 09:40 | 07:10 | Scotland v Sri Lanka | Pool B |
| 02:35 | 10:35 | 08:05 | UAE v India | Pool C |
| 03:30 | 11:30 | 09:00 | B3 v D3 | Bowl semi-final 1 |
| 04:25 | 12:25 | 09:55 | A3 v C3 | Bowl semi-final 2 |
| 05:20 | 13:20 | 10:50 | B2 v D2 | Plate semi-final 1 |
| 06:15 | 14:15 | 11:45 | A2 v C2 | Plate semi-final 2 |
| 07:10 | 15:10 | 12:40 | A1 v C1 | Cup semi-final 1 |
| 08:05 | 16:05 | 13:35 | B1 v D1 | Cup semi-final 2 |
(Source: Hong Kong Sixes 2026 fixture list)
Sunday settles every title and every placing.
Sunday 1 November: Cup, Plate and Bowl Finals
Three finals close the weekend, with the Cup final last. The play-off teams are still to be confirmed.
| UK Time (GMT) | Hong Kong Time | India Time (IST) | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:40 | 09:40 | 07:10 | 11th/12th place play-off |
| 02:35 | 10:35 | 08:05 | 7th/8th place play-off |
| 03:30 | 11:30 | 09:00 | 3rd/4th place play-off |
| 05:20 | 13:20 | 10:50 | Bowl final |
| 06:15 | 14:15 | 11:45 | Plate final |
| 07:10 | 15:10 | 12:40 | Cup final |
(Source: Hong Kong Sixes 2026 fixture list)
With the dates clear, the next question is how the pools feed those finals.
How the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Pools and Knockouts Work
Twelve teams are split into four pools of three. Each pool plays a round robin, and where you finish decides which trophy you chase.
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Bangladesh | India | Afghanistan |
| England | Scotland | Pakistan | Oman |
| Hong Kong | Sri Lanka | UAE | South Africa |
(Source: Wikipedia, 2026 Hong Kong Sixes)
The knockout path is simple:
- Pool winners play the Cup semi-finals, with A1 facing C1 and B1 facing D1.
- Runners up play the Plate semi-finals, and third placed teams play the Bowl semi-finals.
- Semi-final winners reach their finals on Sunday. Losers drop into the placing play-offs.
(Source: Wikipedia, 2026 Hong Kong Sixes)
Here’s the catch for Pool C. Only one side can win it, so India and Pakistan cannot both reach the Cup semi-finals. Their meeting on Friday morning could decide who gets there, though UAE can spoil that if they win either game.
Hong Kong Sixes 2026 Squads and Captains
Squads are seven strong, with six on the field at any time. Captains for nine sides are in the table below. England, Scotland and Oman had not been confirmed in the sources checked for this piece.
| Pool | Team | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| A | Australia | Chris Green |
| A | Hong Kong | Yasim Murtaza |
| A | England | Not confirmed |
| B | Bangladesh | Abu Hider |
| B | Sri Lanka | Sangeeth Cooray |
| B | Scotland | Not confirmed |
| C | India | Bhuvneshwar Kumar |
| C | Pakistan | Abbas Afridi |
| C | UAE | Khalid Shah |
| D | Afghanistan | Gulbadin Naib |
| D | South Africa | Jorich van Schalkwyk |
| D | Oman | Not confirmed |
(Source: Wikipedia, 2026 Hong Kong Sixes; Cricket Hong Kong, China announcements via UNI and ANI)
Hong Kong Sixes Rules Explained
The tournament uses the Laws of Cricket with a few big changes. They push teams to attack from ball one.
- Teams have six players and bat for six overs of six balls.
- Every fielder except the wicketkeeper bowls one over, and one bowler delivers two overs that cannot be back-to-back.
- Wides and no-balls cost the usual run plus an extra ball, with no free hit.
- A batter must retire not out on reaching 50, and can return if one of the last pair is dismissed.
- If five wickets fall, the last batter carries on with the fifth dismissed batter as a runner. The innings ends when the sixth wicket falls.
(Source: Wikipedia, 2026 Hong Kong Sixes)
Last year’s edition shows how quickly those rules turn a match.
How to Watch the Hong Kong Sixes 2026
No UK broadcaster for 2026 appeared in the sources checked. That could change, so check Cricket Hong Kong’s official channels before the first ball.
- Last year, viewers in the UK and other unlisted territories could stream the tournament on YouTube.
- India has Sony Sports Network on television and FanCode for streaming.
| Region | Platform |
|---|---|
| India (streaming) | FanCode, on app, website and connected TV |
| India (TV) | Sony Sports Network |
| USA and Canada | FloLive, on the FloSports app |
| Australia | Kayo Sports and Fox Sports |
| UK | Not Announced |
| Hong Kong | Not Announced |
| Pakistan, South Africa, rest of world | Not Announced |
Tickets: Booking is via Ticketflap and hongkongsixes.live, per Sportstralia. Confirm prices on the booking page before buying.
(Source: Wisden and CricketTimes for 2025 viewing; Exchange4media and IANS via NewKerala for 2026)
Sources
Pakistan Defend Their Hong Kong Sixes Crown Starting With India on 30 October
Pakistan open against UAE at 02:35 UK time on Friday 30 October, then play India at 06:15. Only pool winners reach the Cup semi-finals, so those two games shape everything.
England meet Hong Kong at 04:25 and Australia at 08:05. The Cup final starts at 07:10 UK time on Sunday 1 November. England’s squad and a confirmed UK broadcaster are the two big gaps still to fill, and Cricket Insider UK will keep watching for both before the first ball.
Sources
- 2026 Hong Kong Sixes (Wikipedia): Pools, squads, rules and schedule cross-check.
- Hong Kong International Sixes 2025 results (ESPN): 2025 final and Plate scores.
- Pakistan beat Kuwait (Gulf News): Afridi and Samad final innings.
- Pakistan wins Hong Kong Sixes 2025 (Kashmir Reader): Pakistan’s quarter-final and semi-final opponents
- FanCode streaming rights (Exchange4media): India streaming partner.
- Where to watch 2025 (Wisden): UK viewing last year.
