Can India face Pakistan again at Hong Kong Sixes 2026? Here's why a IND vs PAK rematch is impossible

Can India face Pakistan again at Hong Kong Sixes 2026? Here's why a IND vs PAK rematch is impossible originally appeared on Cricket News . Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . KEY TAKEAWAYS: India cannot face Pakistan again at the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes after losing their Group C encounter. The 12-team tournament features three separate knockout competitions: Cup, Plate and Bowl. Group winners advance to the Cup semi-finals, runners-up enter the Plate semi-finals, while third-placed teams compete in the Bowl. India will play the United Arab Emirates in their final Group C fixture on October 31. Bad news for India fans hoping for revenge against Pakistan at Hong Kong Sixes 2026 India and Pakistan met at the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes on Friday at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. The Men in Green handed a brutal defeat to their arch-rivals, who were led by Krunal Pandya, chasing down a target of 89 in just 3.5 overs after restricting their opponents to 88/5 in six overs. In head-to-head matches in the tournament's history, Pakistan have dominated India with a 10-3 record. The result has left India facing a must-win encounter against the United Arab Emirates in their final group-stage fixture. MORE: 'Totally destroyed by Abbas Afridi': Fans slam Krunal Pandya & Nitish Rana after IND's defeat to PAK in Hong Kong Sixes If you are an Indian fan, fired up and hoping to avenge the opening-game loss to Pakistan, there's some news that will leave you disappointed. Even if India bounce back and progress to the knockout stage, another India-Pakistan contest is impossible. Their Group C encounter will be their only meeting in the tournament. Why can't India and Pakistan meet again at Hong Kong Sixes 2026? India and Pakistan cannot meet again at the 2026 Hong Kong Sixes because the tournament's knockout format separates teams according to their finishing positions in the group stage. The 2026 Hong Kong Sixes features 12 teams divided into four groups of three. Each team plays the other two sides in its group, with its final position determining which knockout competition it enters. Unlike a conventional tournament in which teams progress through a single knockout bracket, the Hong Kong Sixes features three separate competitions. The group winners advance to the Cup semi-finals, the runners-up enter the Plate semi-finals, and the third-placed teams move into the Bowl semi-finals. MORE: Hong Kong Sixes 2026 schedule: Start date, time The latter two are secondary and tertiary levels of the competition, used solely to determine the tournament's final standings and do not award you any trophies. India and Pakistan are both in Group C. Therefore, they will necessarily finish in different positions and enter different knockout competitions. The tournament has also predetermined the semi-final matchups, with Group C teams facing corresponding teams from Group A. BCCI/Creimas Can India still progress to the Hong Kong Sixes Cup semi-finals? The discussion here is about the cup semi-finals (the main one) and to qualify for that, India needs to finish first in the group. India have one group-stage match remaining against the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, October 31. The UAE have already beaten Pakistan by one wicket, while Pakistan recovered from that defeat to beat India by four wickets. Consequently, all three teams remain in contention for different finishing positions in Group C. Hong Kong Sixes Group C points table and Net Run Rates No. Team Match Won Lost Draw/NR Points NRR 1 Pakistan 2 1 1 0 2 +3.617 2 UAE 1 1 0 0 2 +0.500 3 India 1 0 1 0 0 -9.072 A victory against the UAE would give India two points and bring all three teams level on points, leaving net run rate to determine the final group standings. Here are quick qualification scenarios for India fans to top the group: If India bat first against UAE: India needs to score 104/116/128/140 and restrict UAE to 30/40/50/60 runs, respectively. If India is chasing: Chase 31/41/51/61/71/81 within 1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5/1.5 overs, respectively. (not ideal) MORE: 'Absolutely ridiculous selection decision': Gautam Gambhir slammed for benching Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in India's dead rubber vs NZ India must bat first against UAE. Note that, even if India beats UAE, they could finish third due to a horrible NRR of of -9.072. To state the obvious, a defeat would leave India in third place, sending them into the Bowl semi-finals. India's match against the UAE is scheduled to begin at 10:35 a.m. HKT (local time) or 8:05 a.m. IST on Saturday at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary, and to share your voice, head to our Facebook , Instagram , and X (Twitter) pages.