Team India entered the Hong Kong Sixes tournament – a tournament which has just 6 overs per side and the Indian contingent was considered to be one of the most competitive side but ended up having a disappointing run. The lineup featured seasoned players like Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Priyank Panchal, Abhimanyu Mithun, Stuart Binny, and Shahbaz Nadeem but they did not stand up to the expectations. India failed to make an impact and were defeated by teams like Nepal, UAE and Kuwait.
The downfall began when India faced a shocking defeat by 27 runs against Kuwait in their Pool C match. The Dinesh Karthik and co opted to bowl first and were left completely dismantled when Yasin Patel came in to bat. Kuwait’s Yasin Patel hit five consecutive sixes, scored 58 runs in 14 balls and powered his team towards a competitive total of 106/5. India on the other hand failed miserably and were all out at the scored of 79 following which Kuwait secured a dashing win.
The struggle for India deepened when they played against UAE. Batting first India posted a target of 107 runs with Abhimanyu Mithun (50) and Dinesh Karthik (42) leading the charge. But UAE stunned India as Khalid Shah and Saghir Khan smashed 42 runs in the first two overs, setting the tone for a dominant chase. UAE chased the target in just 5.5 overs scoring 111/2 and clinching a win.
Also Read: Hong Kong Sixes: India faces shocking defeat as Kuwait wins by 27 runs – Here’s what happened
India’s misery tripled when they played against Nepal and suffered an embarrassing defeat of 92 runs. Nepal showcased a record-breaking performance and smashed 137 runs. India on the other side once again was struggling and eventually all the wickets collapsed at a mere score of 45. What was expected to be a promising campaign turned into a wake-up call for Team India, exposing their struggles in adapting to the high-octane format of the Hong Kong Sixes.
