Krunal Pandya's India must beat the UAE to stay in the Hong Kong Sixes Cup hunt

India must beat the UAE in Mong Kok on Saturday to keep any chance of a place in the Cup semi-finals at the Hong Kong Sixes

India opened their campaign with a heavy defeat on Friday, losing to Pakistan by four wickets at the Mission Road Ground after being held to 88 for 5 from their six overs.

Pakistan needed only 3.5 overs to pass the target, closing on 91 for 2 with 13 balls to spare. The size of the margin, as much as the defeat itself, is what now works against India.

Group C is a three-team pool and India have one fixture left in it, against the United Arab Emirates at 8:05 AM IST on Saturday, the last group match of the tournament.

Only the group winner reaches the Cup

Twelve teams are split into four groups of three, and the route out of each group is narrow. The winner goes through to the Cup semi-finals, the runner-up drops into the Plate and the third-placed side into the Bowl.

Pakistan have already completed their programme and sit on two points from two matches, having lost to the UAE and beaten India. The UAE have two points from their single game. India have none.

A second defeat would therefore leave India bottom of the group and out of the Cup altogether, with a Bowl semi-final against the third-placed team from Group A to follow later the same morning.

The net run rate problem

A win may not be enough on its own. Beating the UAE would put all three teams on two points, which leaves net run rate to decide the order, and India's stands at −9.072 after Friday.

Pakistan are on 3.617 and the UAE on 0.500. Net run rate moves quickly in six-over cricket, but the gap means India would need a substantial win rather than a narrow one.

Losing to the UAE removes the calculation entirely and settles the group in the UAE's favour.

Shashank Singh the lone resistance

Shashank Singh top-scored with 40 from 11 balls against Pakistan, close to half of India's total on his own, and also took 1-14 with the ball.

Abdul Samad was the most effective of the Pakistan bowlers with 2-10 from his over. Khawaja Nafay then made 41 from 12 balls in the chase.

Pakistan's captain Abbas Afridi was named player of the match.

The UAE have already beaten the champions

The UAE opened Group C by beating Pakistan, the defending champions, by one wicket off the final ball of the match.

Chasing Pakistan's 106 for 3, in which Abbas Afridi struck 53 from 13 balls, the UAE reached 109 with nothing to spare. Captain Khalid Shah made 71 from 20 balls and was named player of the match.

That result reshaped the group, and it is why the UAE, rather than India or Pakistan, go into Saturday's match controlling it.

A seven-man squad in a six-a-side game

Krunal Pandya captains a seven-man India squad completed by Shashank Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, T Natarajan and Kulwant Khejroliya.

Each side fields six players in six-over matches, and every player other than the wicketkeeper has to bowl. Small margins decide games: three of the four groups produced a one-wicket or last-ball finish on the opening day.

India have won the Hong Kong Sixes once, in 2005.

India and the UAE meet at the Mission Road Ground at 8:05 AM IST on Saturday, with the group, and India's route through the rest of the tournament, decided by the result.

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.