Afghanistan complete an unbeaten Hong Kong Sixes campaign with a four-wicket win over Australia

Afghanistan won the Hong Kong International Sixes without losing a match, overhauling Australia in the final at Mission Road Ground with five balls to spare

Imran Mir settled it in Mong Kok. His unbeaten 53 from 14 balls, seven of them hit for six, turned a reply that had lost two early wickets into a chase Australia could not slow.

Afghanistan finished on 119 for 2 in 5.1 overs, a four-wicket win that handed Gulbadin Naib's side the Cup.

Australia had won the toss and batted, and Max Bryant's 44 from 14 balls carried them to 115 for 5 from their six overs.

Bryant sets the pace for Australia

Bryant opened and was Australia's quickest scorer, 44 from 14 balls at the top of an innings built for a format that gives each side 36 legitimate deliveries and nothing more.

Alex Ross held the end of it together, finishing unbeaten on 29 from 10 balls after Nick Hobson had taken 23 from eight at No. 4.

Australia closed on 115 for 5, which left Afghanistan needing 116 and, with six overs in which to get them, better than three runs a ball from the first delivery of the reply.

Two wickets down and then Mir

Afghanistan lost two wickets inside the opening overs of the chase, and the captain, Gulbadin Naib, went for 17 from six balls when Chris Green had him caught and bowled.

That was the point at which the final looked Australia's. It was also the last thing that went their way.

Mir answered with seven sixes and two fours in a 14-ball stay that took him to 53 not out and won him the player of the match award.

Only once he had finished did the arithmetic of the chase look ordinary again.

Farmanullah closes it out

Farmanullah gave the chase the second hitter it needed, 26 not out from seven balls with four of them cleared for six.

Between them the pair put the target out of reach without needing the last over, and Afghanistan got there with five balls unused.

"Afghanistan pulls off a sensational chase to win the Grand Final by 4 wickets," Cricket Hong Kong, China wrote on X after the finish.

An unbeaten week in Mong Kok

Afghanistan came through Group D with wins over South Africa and Oman, the second of them a chase of 121 completed in 5.2 overs.

The semi-final was the most comfortable of the four. Afghanistan made 121 for 4, held Scotland to 100 for 3 and won by 21 runs, with Naib himself unbeaten on 51 from 16 balls.

Australia were the fourth side they beat in four attempts, and the only one to post a total against them that threatened to be enough.

Twelve teams contested the tournament. Pakistan had arrived as defending champions, having beaten Kuwait in the 2025 Cup final.

South Africa take the Bowl as India finish 11th

South Africa won the Bowl final on the same card, answering England's 95 for 6 with 101 for 1 in 5.1 overs for a five-wicket win.

Scotland took third place by 45 runs, their 135 for 1 proving far beyond the United Arab Emirates, who managed 90 for 3.

India had already gone out, bottom of Group C after a defeat by the United Arab Emirates earlier in the week.

They signed off by beating Bangladesh off the last ball of the 11th-place play-off, 117 for 1 against 116 for 5.

Scorecard: Australia 115 for 5 (Max Bryant 44, Alex Ross 29*) lost to Afghanistan 119 for 2 (Imran Mir 53*, Farmanullah 26*) by four wickets with five balls remaining at Mission Road Ground, Mong Kok.

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