The cricketing world is excited about the return of the entertaining and viewer-friendly Hong Kong Sixes competition. Organised by Hong Kong Cricket, the HK6 is making a comeback after seven years, having last been held in 2017. The 20th edition of the Hong Kong Sixes tournament will commence on November 1, and be completed by November 3. As the tournament nears, let us look at the format and rules for all the participating teams. Hong Kong Sixes 2024: Schedule, Participating Teams and All You Need to Know About HK6 Cricket Tournament.

Hong Kong Sixes 2024 Format

A major format change this year will be the number of teams participating, which has been raised from eight to 12. Each match, consisting of six players per side will start and finish within the allotted 45-minute time limit. The 12 teams will be split into four pools— A, B, C, and D— with each pool consisting of three nations. The top two teams from each pool will play in the quarterfinals with the bottom two sides featuring in bowl matches.   India Cricket Team Set to Participate in Hong Kong Sixes 2024 Tournament, Competition to Take Place from November 1.

Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D
South Africa (A1) Australia (B1) India (C1) Sri Lanka (D1)
New Zealand (A2) England (B2) Pakistan (C2) Bangladesh (D2)
Hong Kong (A3) Nepal (B3) UAE (C3) Oman (D3)

The winner of the quarterfinals will move on to the semifinals, while the losing side will play in the Plate semifinals. Semifinal-winning teams will play in the Cup finals and Plate finals, with there also being a Bowl final. 

Hong Kong Sixes 2024 Rules

The real fun in Hong Kong Sixes lies in the rules, which make the match fast-paced.  

  • Each team will consist of six players. 

  • One player can bowl one over, while all others expect the wicketkeeper must bowl one each. 

  • A batter must retire after passing 31 runs, however, can return if one of the last pair of batters is out. 

  • If more than one batter retires, the players must come in the same order in which they went off the field. 

  • Interestingly, the batter which remains undefeated even if the team loses all five wickets, will continue. The bowling team will have to take all six wickets to bowl out the batting team. The last batter dismissed will act as the runner if a team loses five wickets before the five-over mark.

  • Wide and No-Balls count as two runs, plus an extra ball. Did You Know Sachin Tendulkar Competed in Hong Kong Sixes Cricket Tournament? Video of Master Blaster Hitting Sixes Goes Viral Ahead of 2024 Edition.

Some exhilarating cricket is headed the way of fans when the Hong Kong Sixes 2024 tournament starts from November 1. The pulsating format will also be interesting to look forward to. South Africa are the defending champions, having won their fifth title in 2017 beating Pakistan in the final.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 09, 2024 10:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).