Australia out of T20 World Cup 2026 (Source: AFP)
The mighty Australia have officially been knocked out of the ongoing T20 World Cup after the ZIM vs IRE match at the Pallekele International Stadium was washed out on Tuesday due to rain. The abandoned match meant both Zimbabwe and Ireland were awarded 1 point each.
The African nation’s share of points (5) helped them secure a berth in the Super 8 from the Group B, joining Sri Lanka at the top. Thus, Australia are eliminated from the competition despite playing their final group-stage game.
This leaves fans wondering when the last time was a team like Australia, with a long-lived legacy, was knocked out of the coveted T20 World Cups.
Heavyweight Australia knocked out of T20 World Cup in Group Stage for the second time in history
T20 World Cup 2026 is only the second time in the tournament’s history that Australia have been eliminated in the group stage. In 2009, they lost to the West Indies and Sri Lanka, crashing out of the competition.
The 2009 ICC T20 World Cup in England turned out to be hugely disastrous for a star-studded Australia. The Ricky Ponting-led team became the only team to be knocked out in the group stages after losing both matches against the West Indies by 7 wickets and Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. Though the quad featured players like David Warner and Shane Watson, it failed to advance past the initial round.
The early and highly embarrassing exit from the T20 tournament serves as a wake-up call for the Aussies. From injuries and fitness concerns to selection missteps and lack of preparation in subcontinental conditions, the issues seem multifaceted. While this may not trigger a full-scale review, Australia must rethink its T20 strategy to remain competitive on the world stage.
Australia suffer their joint-worst T20 World Cup campaign
The writing was on the wall for Australia after they lost first to Zimbabwe and then Sri Lanka, and had to bank on Ireland beating Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
Even then, the 2021 champions would have needed Sri Lanka, who have already qualified for the Super Eight phase, to knock out Zimbabwe on Thursday to stay alive ahead of a final group match against Oman.
But persistent rain in Kandy meant there was no play at all, and the match was abandoned at 5.30pm local time.
However, Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign was derailed even before it began, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out due to injuries. Ahead of the opener against Ireland, captain Marsh suffered an injury scare and went on to miss the first two matches.
On top of that, Tim David, Cooper Connolly, and other key players have struggled with form or fitness, leaving selectors with a limited and underperforming squad.
The 2021 champions will play a dead rubber against Oman on Friday
Australia are set to play their final T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against Oman on February 20, 2026, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Balagolla, Sri Lanka.
While there’s nothing left for Australia in the tournament in terms of further qualifications, the Mitchell Marsh-led Aussie squad will hope to end their campaign on a positive note, with a compensatory win.
