Krunal Pandya To Captain India At Hong Kong Sixes 2026 As Bhuvneshwar Kumar Withdraws

All-rounder Krunal Pandya will lead India at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 after Bhuvneshwar Kumar joined the national squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.

The tournament will take place from October 30 to November 1. Gujarat Titans fast bowler Kulwant Khejroliya has replaced Bhuvneshwar in the seven-member squad.

Krunal will lead a team featuring Shashank Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, T Natarajan and Khejroliya.

The squad combines IPL experience with batting depth and all-round ability suited to the fast-paced six-a-side format.

Bhuvneshwar’s withdrawal follows his recall to India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand, marking his return to the national side after nearly four years.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the Shreyas Iyer-led squad earlier this month.

The selectors also added the experienced pacer to India’s squad for the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies after Arshdeep Singh took a blow during the fourth match in Hyderabad.

Anuraag Bhatnagar, Director of Commercial and Marketing at Cricket Hong Kong, China, welcomed Bhuvneshwar’s international recall while acknowledging his absence from the tournament.

“While we will certainly miss Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026, we are delighted to see him earn a call-up to the national team. His return to international cricket after four years is a special milestone, and we wish him every success on India’s tour of New Zealand. We look forward to welcoming him back to the Hong Kong Sixes in the future,” Bhatnagar said.

India Squad: Krunal Pandya (captain), Shashank Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, T Natarajan and Kulwant Khejroliya.

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