The Pool C match between India and Kuwait in the Hong Kong Sixes 2025 ended in a surprising twist as the Dinesh Karthik-led side lost the clash by 27 runs on Saturday. Kuwait displayed incredible grit, skill, and smart tactics in the six-a-side format, making it a memorable match. Yasin Patel starred with an all-round performance and was awarded Player of the Match. Team India who won their tournament opener against Pakistan, will participate in the bowl competition.
Batting first, Kuwait posted a strong 106/5 in 6 overs, making the most of the short-format rules with aggressive hitting and quick running between the wickets. For most of the innings, it seemed they might fall short of 90, but Yasin Patel’s five consecutive sixes in the final over pushed the team past the 100-run mark.
India failed to chase 107
While chasing, India failed to get a good start as Robin Uthappa was dismissed for a golden duck, while key players like Dinesh Karthik and Stuart Binny failed to make an impact. Abhimanyu Mithun provided some hope, smashing 26 off just 9 balls, but India could only manage 79/6 in 5.4 overs, falling 27 runs short of the target.
Yasin Patel was equally impressive with the ball, picking 3 wickets for 23 runs in 2 overs, including the crucial dismissal of Shahbaz Nadeem, which turned the game in Kuwait’s favour.
The final over, bowled by Adnan Idrees, was dramatic. Mithun hit three consecutive sixes, giving India a glimmer of hope, but Idrees held his nerve. A well-judged catch by Meet Bhavsar dismissed Mithun, sealing a memorable win for Kuwait. With this defeat, India are out of contention for the quarterfinal of the mega event.