India launched their Hong Kong Sixes 2025 campaign with a dramatic two-run victory over Pakistan on November 7 at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. The tournament opener between the arch-rivals delivered thrilling action before rain interrupted play. Batting first after Pakistan captain Abbas Afridi chose to bowl, India posted 86/4 in six overs, powered by Robin Uthappa's explosive 28 off 11 balls and Dinesh Karthik's blistering 17 from just six deliveries. Opener Bharat Chipli contributed 24 off 13. Pakistan responded strongly, racing to 18 runs in the first over. However, Stuart Binny's crucial breakthrough stalled their momentum. After three overs, persistent rain halted proceedings. Match officials applied the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to determine the result, revealing Pakistan fell short of the par score by two runs. The victory gave India a winning start under Karthik's leadership.
Rain and DLS method decide thriller outcome
Pakistan began their chase aggressively, smashing 18 runs in the opening over bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun. The momentum shifted when Stuart Binny dismissed Maaz Sadaqat while conceding just seven runs. Shahbaz Nadeem's third over yielded 16 runs for Pakistan. Rain then intervened, stopping play after the third over. Following a lengthy delay, match officials concluded natural play was impossible. They employed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculation, which revealed Pakistan were two runs below the required par score at that stage. Consequently, the match was awarded to India, giving them a memorable tournament opener against their traditional rivals in this fast-paced six-a-side format.
Source: Link