Australia’s embarrassing early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 has left old wounds open and India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is once again in the news. In fact, Hardik Pandya could not play almost half of the 2023 ODI World Cup and India lost the trophy to Australia.
Australia’s early exit from T20 World Cup 2026 brings back the pain of 2023 World Cup
Hardik came into the limelight as former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has taken a sharp dig at Australia after their exit in the first round from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. He reminded fans that the same team was called “powerful” after winning the 2023 ODI World Cup.
But that glory didn’t last long for the Kangaroos. Since that title win in 2023, Australia’s performance in ICC events has declined. They lost in the Super Eights of the 2024 T20 World Cup. In 2025, they failed to win both the Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship final.
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And now in 2026, they have failed to make it to the Super Eight round of the ongoing tournament. After the biggest shock of T20 World Cup 2026, Kaif linked the 2023 ODI World Cup final between India and Australia to the absence of Hardik Pandya.
Had Hardik Pandya played Ahmedabad final in 2023, Australia would have lost there too: Mohammad Kaif takes sharp dig
It is noteworthy that Hardik had suffered an ankle injury during the tournament and he could not play in the final against Australia. India had won every match before the final but lost the title match by six wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Kaif believes that if Hardik had played that final, the result could have been very different.
Mohammad Kaif posted,
They were called a powerful Australian team after winning the 2023 50-over World Cup. After this he suffered a severe fall. 2024 World T20, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 World Test Championship – they were not strong. If Hardik Pandya plays Ahmedabad final in 2023, Australian team…
– Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) 17 February 2026
Australia is out after Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka reach Super Eight
Australia’s defeat in the current T20 World Cup has been dramatic. After an emphatic win against Ireland in their first match, they surprised everyone by losing to Zimbabwe by 23 runs. That defeat definitely pushed them towards victory against Sri Lanka.
Also read: BCCI issues official statement on Australia’s exclusion from T20 World Cup 2026; Rajasthan Royals became cruel
Despite a good start, Australia faltered and lost by eight wickets. The final blow came when the Zimbabwe vs Ireland match was washed out due to rain. This officially ended Australia’s campaign in the event. Now Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have come from Group B to Super Eight.
Hardik Pandya recalls the iconic 2016 Bangladesh thriller that changed his career
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya recently recalled the tense last over against Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup 2016, when he had to defend 11 runs. It was a pressure situation, but Hardik remained calm and led India to victory in dramatic fashion. That match changed his career forever.
“In cricket, even if there is a 1% chance, the game is not over until the last ball of the match is bowled. That Bangladesh match was an excellent example of this. One ball before the wicket fell, the batsman started celebrating as if the game was over,” Pandya said on Geostar.
He was celebrating in front of me and all this was happening in front of my eyes. Whenever I look at it, I think of those early days, it was one of the challenges of my life and one of the moments in my career that shaped Hardik Pandya. I have many more such moments, but my journey started from that one.