Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif criticized Australia for their surprising exit from the T20 World Cup 2026. He noted that Australia’s performance has declined in recent ICC tournaments since their win in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Australia was knocked out during the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup, lost in the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy, and fell short in the final of the 2025 World Test Championship. Kaif highlighted these results as evidence of their downward trend in International Cricket.
He also mentioned that all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s presence could have impacted the 2023 ODI World Cup final against India, hinting that Australia might have faced a tougher challenge if Pandya had been fit.
“Mighty Aussies they were called after winning the 2023 50-overs World Cup. After that, they had a sharp fall. 2024 World T20, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 World Test Championship – they were not Mighty. If Hardik Pandya had played the Ahmedabad final in 2023, the Aussies would have lost there too,” wrote Kaif on X.
Hardik suffered an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup against Bangladesh, which kept him out for the remainder of the tournament. His absence was notably felt in the later stages, as India lacked his balance as a seam-bowling all-rounder.
Australia has struggled to regain its past success since winning the T20 World Cup in 2021. Their recent campaigns have been disappointing, with the early exit from the T20 World Cup 2026 being particularly unexpected.
Australia Out of T20 World Cup 2026 After Loss to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka
Australia began their campaign with a strong win over Ireland. However, they faced an unexpected 23-run defeat to Zimbabwe, putting them in a precarious situation. This loss meant they needed to win against Sri Lanka on February 16. Despite a promising start, Australia couldn’t finish strong, allowing Sri Lanka to chase down the target easily, led by Pathum Nissanka’s impressive unbeaten century.
The final blow came when the match between Zimbabwe and Ireland was rained out, officially ending Australia’s chances in the tournament. Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have moved on from Group B to the Super Eight stage, with Zimbabwe set to face the West Indies, India, and South Africa next.
