India lose to UAE by 6 wickets, Natarajan smashes 4 sixes in 14-ball 38 after batting collapse

India's losing streak continued on Day 2 of Kong Kong Sixes 2026. In the must-win game against UAE, India suffered a comprehensive six-wicket defeat at Mission Road Ground, Mong Kok, on October 31. In the Blow semifinal 2, India lost to England by three runs despite Rahul Tripathi's unbeaten 14-ball 56 in the run chase. After a hat-trick of defeats, India will play the 11th/12th place play-off match on November 1.

Big names fail, Natarajan delivers with bat, not with ball

In their second Group C match, India faced UAE. India were asked to bat first by UAE skipper Khalid Shah. Nitish Rana hit Zahid Ali for a six off the first ball and then lost his wicket. In the same over, Rahul Tewatia was dismissed lbw. In the next over, Shashank Singh lost his wicket to Muhammad Farooq after scoring just one run. In the third over, Tripathi wreaked havoc with a four and three consecutive sixes. But Zahid had the last laugh as he dismissed Tripathi for a seven-ball 24. 

Skipper Krunal Pandya hit a six and a four but couldn't keep hitting the ball out of the park. He lost his wicket to Mohammad Faraazuddin for an 8-ball 15. With just one wicket remaining, T Natarajan was the main batter. Natarajan got off the mark with a boundary. In the next over, he smashed Muhammad Zuhaib for two sixes and as many fours. Natarajan hit a couple of sixes off Ansh Tandon in the last over. He was run out for a 14-ball 38 off the last ball of the innings in a six-over-per-side game. He scored 38 runs from 14 balls, including three fours and four sixes, sending a message to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to not use him as an impact player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027. He took India's score to 94/6.

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Natarajan couldn't strike early with the ball. Khalid hit him for two sixes and two fours in the first over. After the 25-run over, Shashank was introduced into the attack. He was hit for a four and two sixes by Tandon. Rana bowled ahead of Pandya and was taken to the cleaners. Tandon smashed him for two sixes. Then, Khalid hit a four and a six in the 24-run over. Natarajan bowled another over and conceded 18 runs. Krunal bowled the fifth over and conceded two sixes. Khalid reached his half-century from 14 balls to finish the run chase. UAE won the match by six wickets with 10 balls to spare, booking a berth in the semifinals for the Hong Kong Sixes Cup.

Tripathi’s blazing fifty in vain as England win thriller

After two consecutive defeats, India played England in the match that will decide the fifth- and sixth-placed teams. India lost the thrilling encounter to England by three runs.

Krunal won the toss and opted to bowl first against John Simpson-led England. Kulwant Khejroliya played in Natarajan's absence. Martin Andersson hit him for two fours and a six. Simpson hit him for a six in the 24-run over as well. Tripathi was introduced into the attack, and he took Simpson's wicket. He followed it up with three consecutive wides. Ed Barnard hit a six and took a single. Then, Andersson whacked two out of the park. Krunal bowled the third over, conceding two sixes and a four off Andersson's bat. Tewatia was given the ball, but the onslaught continued. Barnard hit three sixes off the leg-spinner.

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Khejroliya returned, and Andersson hit a six to reach his fifty from 13 balls, leaving the field retired. Khejroliya went for 17 runs in his second over. The final over was bowled by Rana. Luke Hollman hit him for a couple of sixes. Hollman departed on the final delivery. Barnard's unbeaten 14-ball 35 powered England to 124/2.

In the run chase, Rana hit a boundary after facing two dot balls and then lost his wicket to Nathan Gilchrist. Tripathi arrived at the crease and got off the mark with a maximum. He kept the strike and smashed Hollman for a four, followed by two sixes. Shashank hit a couple of sixes too, making it a 30-run over. In the next over, Tripathi hit Andersson for a four and three consecutive sixes. Shashank finished the over with a six. Andersson conceded 30 runs as well. In the next over, Tripathi reached his fifty with a six and then had to retire (a batter has to retire after reaching 50 but can return later if the team runs out of batters). Shashank hit a six and a four off the over.

India were 89/1 after four overs. In the penultimate over, Tewatia fell to Jack Carson for a two-ball duck. Pandya arrived in the middle and got off the mark with a six. He hit a six and a four in the same over as well. 

India needed 18 runs off the final over. Gilchrist was brought back into the attack. Shashank was caught at deep backward point on the first delivery, departing for a nine-ball 29. Khejroliya was retired out before he even took the field to make way for Tripathi again. He scored three runs off the next two balls. Pandya hit a six and a four off the next two balls. On the final delivery, India needed five runs to win. Krunal could only score a single as India lost the match by three runs. He remained unbeaten for a 7-ball 28. Tripathi contributed with an unbeaten 14-ball 56.

Will India bow out of the tournament with a win?

India face Bangladesh in their next game on November 1 for the 11th/12th place play-off game. Bangladesh have suffered a hat-trick of defeats too. Scotland beat them by two wickets in a last-ball thriller. Then, Sri Lanka beat them by one wicket with four balls to spare. South Africa beat them by one wicket in a last-over thriller as well. The Bangladesh team is led by Abu Hider Rony.