Australia vs Afghanistan clash in Hong Kong Sixes cup final today
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Australia meet Afghanistan in the Hong Kong Sixes Cup Final today at 12:10 PM PKT in Mong Kok.
- Both teams reached the final unbeaten after strong semifinal wins on October 31.
- Australia crushed the UAE by 53 runs; Afghanistan beat Scotland by 21 runs to set up the decider.
A batsman plays a defensive shot during a cricket match. Photograph: Lemonlolly/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Australia and Afghanistan meet today in the biggest match of the Hong Kong Sixes 2026. The Cup final starts at 3:10 PM Hong Kong time at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. That is 12:10 PM Pakistan time. The winner becomes the tournament champion.
Both teams are unbeaten in the tournament. Australia topped Group A, and Afghanistan topped Group D. They now face each other in a six-over showdown.
What happened: the semifinals
Australia booked their final place with a crushing win over the UAE. They posted 141 for 3 in six overs. The UAE made only 88 for 6 in 5.3 overs, so Australia won by 53 runs.
Max Bryant was the star for Australia. He smashed 60 runs off only 15 balls.
Nick Hobson hit 53 off 11 balls. Bryant and Jack Wood added a fast 62 for the first wicket.
The Australian bowlers then finished the job. Chris Green and Alex Ross took two wickets each. The UAE chase never took off.
Afghanistan earned their final place in a different way. They beat Scotland by 21 runs in the second semifinal.
Afghanistan made 121 for 4 in six overs. Scotland replied with 100 for 3.
Captain Gulbadin Naib led from the front. He made an unbeaten 51 off 16 balls. For Scotland, Jack Jarvis scored 54 off 17 balls, but it was not enough.
The tournament format explained
The Hong Kong Sixes is not normal cricket. Each team gets only six overs to bat, about 36 balls per side. Every ball counts, so batters must attack from the first ball.
Twelve teams played in the 2026 event. The four group winners went into the Cup.
The runners-up went into the Plate, and the bottom teams into the Bowl. That is why there are three finals today.
Australia and Afghanistan won their groups, so they meet in the Cup final. This is the match that decides the overall tournament champion.
There are two other finals today. Defending champions Pakistan face Oman in the Plate final at 2:15 PM Hong Kong time. England play South Africa in the Bowl final at 1:20 PM Hong Kong time.
The squads
Australia have a strong and balanced side, led by captain and wicketkeeper Jack Wood. The squad also includes Max Bryant, Nick Hobson, Alex Ross, Chris Green, Patrick Dooley, Matthew Kelly, and Kane Richardson. Bryant and Hobson are in top form after the semifinal.
Afghanistan are led by captain Gulbadin Naib. Their squad has Karim Janat, Farmanullah Safi, Sediqullah Pacha as wicketkeeper, Imran Mir, Nangeyalia Kharoti, and Abdul Rahman. Naib is the key man after his unbeaten fifty in the semifinal.
Afghanistan reached the final the hard way too. In their last group game, they beat Oman by four wickets. They chased 121 with four balls to spare to top Group D.
Why it matters
This is a clash of two unbeaten teams in the shortest format of the game. Six-over cricket is fast and wild: one big over can change the whole match. Fans love this format because a result is never safe.
Australia look strong because of their batting depth. Bryant, Hobson, and Wood can all clear the ropes. Their bowlers also took regular wickets against the UAE.
Afghanistan are dangerous for a different reason: their batting is fearless. Naib showed in the semifinal that he can finish a match under pressure. In six-over cricket, one hot batter is often enough to win.
A cricket match in progress at a packed stadium. Photograph: Calistemon/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
The UAE had been the surprise team of the tournament before Australia ended their run. They even beat India on day two. But Australia were a class above in the semifinal.
India had a poor tournament. They lost to the UAE in their final group game and then lost to England by three runs in a Bowl semifinal. They ended up playing Bangladesh in the 11th-place playoff instead.
What happens next
The Cup final starts at 3:10 PM Hong Kong time today, which is 12:10 PM Pakistan time and 12:40 PM India time. The match is played at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok.
Fans in India can watch the final live on the FanCode app and website, according to reports. Viewers in Afghanistan can watch on Solh Sports.
In Australia, the match is on Sports Central and Sports Hub. In the United Kingdom, the live streaming is on ARY Plus.
Expect a short and explosive game. With six overs each, the whole match finishes in under two hours.
The first innings often sets the tone. Australia will want a fast start from Bryant and Hobson. Afghanistan will count on Naib and their fearless hitters to chase anything.
Australia start as the slight favourites, with the deeper squad and the stronger semifinal performance. But Afghanistan have shown they can win tight matches. If Naib fires again, Australia will be in trouble.
For more from finals day, read our preview of the Plate final between Oman and Pakistan, the India vs UAE group game, and the Bangladesh vs India 11th-place playoff.
The trophy is on the line. Australia and Afghanistan are both unbeaten. Only one of them will stay that way by the end of today.
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