Krunal Pandya will captain India at the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes after Bhuvneshwar Kumar was pulled out of the squad for next week’s five-match T20I series in New Zealand, with Gujarat Titans fast bowler Kulwant Khejroliya drafted in as his replacement.
Tournament organisers confirmed the changes on Saturday, October 17. Bhuvneshwar had been named India’s captain for the Hong Kong Sixes, but his selection for the New Zealand tour — where he will travel with the national side for five 20-over matches — made him unavailable. Cricket Hong Kong announced Krunal’s captaincy and Khejroliya’s inclusion in separate posts on X.
A fresh start for Krunal
Krunal has never captained India, though he has led Baroda in domestic cricket and Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. The elder brother of all-rounder Hardik Pandya has represented India in ODIs and T20Is but has not played for the national team in five years, even as he remains an IPL regular with five titles to his name. He has been associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru since 2025 and has won back-to-back IPL titles with the franchise.
The squad
Krunal will lead a seven-man Indian squad featuring Shashank Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, T Natarajan and Khejroliya — all active cricketers, with all except Tripathi having featured in the 2026 IPL. At this year’s Hong Kong Sixes, India will face Pakistan and the UAE in Group C. Pakistan will be led by Abbas Afridi, with a squad that includes Khawaja Nafay, Irfan Khan, Abdul Samad, Saad Masood, Muhammad Shahzad and Ahmad Daniyal.
Sources: News18 — GT pacer replaces Bhuvneshwar Kumar in India squad for Hong Kong Sixes
Tournament organisers confirmed the changes on Saturday, October 17. Bhuvneshwar had been named India’s captain for the Hong Kong Sixes, but his selection for the New Zealand tour — where he will travel with the national side for five 20-over matches — made him unavailable. Cricket Hong Kong announced Krunal’s captaincy and Khejroliya’s inclusion in separate posts on X.
A fresh start for Krunal
Krunal has never captained India, though he has led Baroda in domestic cricket and Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. The elder brother of all-rounder Hardik Pandya has represented India in ODIs and T20Is but has not played for the national team in five years, even as he remains an IPL regular with five titles to his name. He has been associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru since 2025 and has won back-to-back IPL titles with the franchise.
The squad
Krunal will lead a seven-man Indian squad featuring Shashank Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, T Natarajan and Khejroliya — all active cricketers, with all except Tripathi having featured in the 2026 IPL. At this year’s Hong Kong Sixes, India will face Pakistan and the UAE in Group C. Pakistan will be led by Abbas Afridi, with a squad that includes Khawaja Nafay, Irfan Khan, Abdul Samad, Saad Masood, Muhammad Shahzad and Ahmad Daniyal.
Sources: News18 — GT pacer replaces Bhuvneshwar Kumar in India squad for Hong Kong Sixes
