Symbolic illustration of cricket stumps and a red ball on a floodlit green field at night, evoking a six-a-side final under lights. (Illustrative image)
Sports & Cricket
Afghanistan beat Australia to win Hong Kong Sixes title
Afghanistan beat Australia by four wickets in the Hong Kong Sixes Cup final in Mong Kok on 1 November 2026, chasing 116 in just 5.1 overs thanks to Imran Mir's unbeaten 53 off 14 balls.
⚡Key Highlights
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Afghanistan beat Australia by four wickets in the Hong Kong Sixes Cup final in Mong Kok on 1 November 2026, chasing 116 in just 5.1 overs thanks to Imran Mir's unbeaten 53 off 14 balls.
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Key analysis, background details, and full reporting below.
Imran Mir's unbeaten 53 off 14 balls powered Afghanistan past Australia in the Hong Kong Sixes Cup final in Mong Kok on Sunday, completing an unbeaten run through the six-a-side tournament.
By StoryTimesNow News Desk — 01 November 2026, 3:03 PM IST
Afghanistan beat Australia by four wickets in the Hong Kong Sixes Cup final on 1 November 2026. (Illustrative image)
Key Takeaways
What happened: Afghanistan chased Australia's 115 in just 5.1 overs, reaching 119 for 2 to win the Hong Kong Sixes Cup final by four wickets in Mong Kok on 1 November 2026.
Who made the difference: Imran Mir finished unbeaten on 53 off 14 balls, with seven sixes, while Farmanullah Safi struck 26 off seven balls.
What next: Afghanistan finish as overall champions of the 12-team tournament, with Australia second, Scotland third and the UAE fourth.
Introduction
Afghanistan are the Hong Kong Sixes champions for 2026. In a final between the tournament's two unbeaten sides, they hunted down Australia's total of 115 with five balls to spare, winning by four wickets on Sunday at Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. It was a chase built on pure hitting: 119 runs in 31 balls, at a run rate above 23 an over.
What Happened?
Australia won the toss and chose to bat first in the six-over final, which began at 12:40 PM IST. Their batters attacked from the start and finished on 115: Max Bryant top-scored with 44 off 14 balls, Alex Ross made an unbeaten 29 off 10 deliveries, and Nick Hobson added 23 off eight balls.
Afghanistan's chase wobbled early, losing two wickets with the score on 32 in the second over. But Imran Mir and Farmanullah Safi then took control: Mir stayed unbeaten on 53 off just 14 balls, hitting seven sixes and two fours, while Safi smashed 26 off seven balls, including four sixes. Captain Gulbadin Naib added 17 off six balls before Chris Green dismissed him, but Afghanistan sealed the title in 5.1 overs.
Why Does This Matter?
The Hong Kong Sixes is cricket's shortest showpiece: six players a side, six overs an innings, and a match done in about 45 minutes. It rewards fearless hitting and punishes even a single quiet over, which is why a chase of 116 in 31 balls, while extraordinary, fits the format's logic. Afghanistan's win is also a statement about depth, combining experienced internationals such as Naib with explosive younger hitters such as Mir and Safi.
For Australia, the defeat stings because they had dominated until the final, topping Group A and thrashing the UAE by 53 runs in the semi-final. Yet in a six-over game, one partnership can erase all of that, and Mir and Safi's stand did exactly that.
Important Details
Match: Australia vs Afghanistan, Cup final, Hong Kong Sixes 2026, Mission Road Ground, Mong Kok, 1 November 2026.
Result: Afghanistan won by four wickets. Australia 115 in six overs; Afghanistan 119 for 2 in 5.1 overs.
Key performances: Imran Mir 53 not out off 14 balls (7 sixes, 2 fours); Farmanullah Safi 26 off seven balls (4 sixes); Gulbadin Naib 17 off six balls; Max Bryant 44 off 14 balls; Alex Ross 29 not out off 10 balls; Nick Hobson 23 off eight balls.
Toss: Australia won the toss and elected to bat first.
Semi-finals: Australia beat the UAE by 53 runs (141 for 3 vs 88 for 6); Afghanistan beat Scotland by 21 runs (121 for 4 vs 100 for 3).
Other trophies: Pakistan beat Oman by 18 runs to win the Plate and finish fifth; South Africa beat England by five wickets to lift the Bowl and finish ninth.
Final standings: 1 Afghanistan, 2 Australia, 3 Scotland, 4 UAE, 5 Pakistan, 11 India, 12 Bangladesh.
Background and Context
The Hong Kong Sixes, first staged in 1992, is one of cricket's oldest short-format events. Each side fields six players, every fielder except the wicketkeeper bowls one over, and batters who reach 50 must retire not out, keeping the scoring rapid.
This year's 12 teams played in four groups of three, with the top sides progressing to the Cup and the rest playing off for the Plate and Bowl trophies. Historically, Pakistan, England and South Africa have been the most successful sides, while India won the title in 2005; Afghanistan's 2026 crown adds a new name to that history.
What Happens Next?
Afghanistan return home as Hong Kong Sixes champions, with the title giving their players a high-profile success outside the full international calendar. No date has yet been announced for the next edition, which traditionally returns to Mong Kok when the calendar allows.
What Readers Should Know
Three rules explain most of what you saw in the final. First, each innings lasts a maximum of six overs, so there is no time to build an innings slowly. Second, with only six players a side, every fielder except the wicketkeeper must bowl. Third, a batter who reaches 50 retires not out, which is why Mir's unbeaten 53 off 14 balls was both the match-winning knock and, by the format's design, a near-maximum contribution.
One caution on scores: outlets differed on Australia's wickets lost, so this article gives the total as 115 runs in six overs and the chase as 119 for 2, the figures on which reports agree. The result, a four-wicket win in 5.1 overs, is not in dispute.
FAQs
What is the Hong Kong Sixes format? A six-a-side tournament in which each team bats for a maximum of six overs, matches last roughly 45 minutes, and batters retire not out on reaching 50.
Who won the other trophies? Pakistan won the Plate, beating Oman by 18 runs to finish fifth, while South Africa won the Bowl, beating England by five wickets to finish ninth.
Where did India finish? India finished 11th of 12 teams, beating Bangladesh by nine wickets in the 11th/12th place play-off earlier on Sunday.
Sources and Verification
Cricket Times, 1 November 2026 — https://crickettimes.com/2026/11/afghanistan-beat-australia-to-win-hong-kong-sixes-2026-title/
The Sports Encounter, 1 November 2026 — https://thesportsencounter.com/2026/11/01/hong-kong-sixes-2026-final-results-afghanistan-pakistan-south-africa/
Ariana News, 1 November 2026 — https://www.ariananews.af/afghanistan-crowned-2026-hong-kong-sixes-champions/
ESPNcricinfo live scorecard, 1 November 2026 — https://www.cricinfo.com/series/hong-kong-international-sixes-2026-27-1559188/afghanistan-vs-australia-final-1559216/live-cricket-score
Based on match reports and the live scorecard published on 1 November 2026. The hero image is a symbolic illustration, not a depiction of any real player.
