Pakistan Becomes The Hong Kong Sixes Champions For The Sixth Time
HONG KONG: Pakistan showcased a powerful all-round display to outclass Kuwait by 43 runs and claim the Hong Kong Sixes 2025 title at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok on Sunday.
Electing to bat first, Pakistan came out firing. Opener Abdul Samad wasted no time, dispatching Yasin Patel’s second delivery for a six, while the bowler struggled with control, conceding three wides in the same over. Khawaja Nafay kept the onslaught going, smashing his very first ball for six as Pakistan raced to 26 runs in the opening over.
Kuwait managed to pull things back briefly when Meet Bhavsar removed Nafay for a quickfire 22 off six balls (2 fours, 2 sixes), leaving Pakistan at 33-1 in 1.4 overs. Skipper Abbas Afridi then joined Samad and immediately went on the attack, launching consecutive sixes to lift the total to 45-1.
Samad continued to hammer the bowlers, adding a four and a six in the third over to propel Pakistan past fifty within 2.2 overs. By the end of the fourth over, Pakistan were cruising at 95-1, with Samad smashing three sixes in a row and Afridi providing solid support.
Kuwait hit back when Bhavsar returned to remove Samad for a blistering 42 off 13 (2 fours, 5 sixes). Shahid Aziz fell for a duck soon after, as Pakistan slipped to 95-3 in 4.3 overs. Maaz Sadaqat joined Afridi and added a boundary to take the total beyond 100.
Afridi then unleashed carnage in the final over, blasting 52 off just 11 balls, including seven sixes and two fours, as Pakistan ended their innings at a mammoth 136 runs.
Kuwait began their chase aggressively, with Adnan Idrees hitting two early sixes off Shahid Aziz’s opening over, which went for a costly 32 runs. But Pakistan bounced back through Mohammad Shahzad, who dismissed Idrees for 30 off eight balls (five sixes), leaving Kuwait 33-1 after 1.3 overs.
Bilal Tahir added a six before falling, and Bhavsar tried to keep the chase alive with some clean hitting. However, Maaz Sadaqat turned the game decisively in Pakistan’s favour, taking three wickets in quick succession, including an LBW dismissal of Mohamed Shafeeq on the first ball of his third over.
Despite Bhavsar’s resistance, Sadaqat restricted the scoring to 18 runs in his over, leaving Kuwait needing 44 off the final over. Abdul Samad sealed the deal in style, taking the final wicket as Kuwait were bowled out for 92, handing Pakistan a 43-run victory and the Hong Kong Sixes crown.
