HONG KONG, 31 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Defending champions Pakistan have been eliminated from the main Cup competition at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 after finishing second in Group C, despite securing a convincing victory over arch-rivals India. The Abbas Afridi-led side saw their hopes of defending the title and claiming a seventh championship come to an end following a narrow defeat against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their opening group fixture. Pakistan suffered a dramatic one-wicket loss to the UAE on Friday despite scoring 106 for three in their allotted six overs. Captain Abbas Afridi led from the front with a blistering 53-run innings, setting a target of 107. However, the UAE chased down the target on the final delivery to hand Pakistan a defeat. Pakistan bounced back strongly in their second group encounter against India, producing an impressive performance with both bat and ball. Their bowlers restricted India to 88 for five before the defending champions comfortably chased the target in just 3.5 overs, reaching 91 for two. Khawaja Nafay top-scored with an aggressive 41, while Afridi contributed a rapid 35 to secure an emphatic eight-wicket victory. However, Pakistan’s win proved insufficient to secure qualification after the UAE defeated India in their final group match. India scored 95 runs, but the UAE completed the chase without losing a wicket in just four overs. Under the tournament format, only group winners qualify for the main Cup semi-finals, while second- and third-placed teams advance to the Plate and Bowl semi-finals, respectively. Pakistan will now compete in the Plate competition and are scheduled to face hosts Hong Kong in the second semi-final on Saturday.