Kumble to lead India in Hong Kong Sixes

Former India skipper Anil Kumble, will be joined by Manish Pandey and Lakshimpathy Balaji in the Indian team for the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes to be played at the Kowloon Cricket Club here on October 31 to November 1.

Also in the Indian squad are Reetinder Sodhi, Sridharan Sriram, Stuart Binny and Jagadesh Arunkumar, First played in 1992, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is the longest-running international tournament of its kind and will this year celebrate its 15th edition. Kumble,is hoping to lead his team to a win to add to the only Sixes title they won back in 2005. This time the spin legend will have the 28-year-old Balaji as a bowling partner.

''Playing against Sri Lanka earlier this year gave me a taste of being back with an Indian team, so I am thrilled to be playing at the Hong Kong Sixes. Any team that has Anil has a chance to do very well and I am sure we can be real contenders for the Cup final,'' said Balaji The just-turned 20 Pandey stunned cricket bufs when he became the first Indian to record a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL), smashing 114 off just 73 balls against the Deccan Chargers earlier this year in South Africa With the innings including 10 fours and four massive sixes, ''I have heard great things about the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes from Anil, who is an inspiration for all cricketers in Bangalore and India. I am thrilled to be coming to what I have heard is a very exciting event,'' Pandey said.

In a new innovation for 2009, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes pools will be divided into Northern and Southern hemisphere groups. As such, India will take part in showpiece matches against geographical rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka on day one, along with a round-robin match against defending champions England.

England recorded a record fifth Sixes title last year after a stunning final in which they finished tied with Australia on 121 runs. When Australian batsman Stephen OKeefe was run out attempting a second run from the final delivery that would have given his team victory, England were confirmed victors as they had lost fewer wickets (three wickets to one).

-- (UNI) -- 22SPD28.xml

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