Australia is out of the 2026 T20 World Cup after consecutive defeats against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The Australian team was ruled out after the Zimbabwe vs Ireland match was washed out due to rain following a defeat against the Lankan Lions. He got a T20 World Cup to forget as he did not perform at his best.
The Australian team came in with an inexperienced bowling attack, with their premium bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins ruled out with separate injuries ahead of the major tournament. The Kangaroos were in bad luck, as their regular captain Mitchell Marsh also missed the first two matches due to a groin injury sustained before the match against Ireland.
Australia finished the campaign with a win in their final game against Oman on Friday. They achieved the target of 105 runs in 9.4 overs. They set the record for the joint-fastest chase of over 100 in the history of the tournament, equaling England, who had done so against the Australians in the previous edition of the competition.
Ashton Agar named Australia’s next T20 captain
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Ashton Agar was asked about the next T20 captain for the next World Cup. Ashton Agar was asked who will be the next captain of the Australian team in T20I in the next World Cup?, Agar replied, “It is really tough. You know, I think Josh Inglis could be in the T20 team. He has a really good cricket mind. I think he is a batsman who can bat any order in T20 cricket.”
Here is the video
Agree with Ashton Egger’s choice, fans? #timeout pic.twitter.com/5QQKWdCYrI
– ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) 21 February 2026
“He has scored T20 centuries for franchise teams in Australia and around the world. And he is a keeper, so he has a good perspective on things. Now, it might be difficult for a keeper to do that, but I think he could be the next one.”
Australia team is going through a bad phase
Australia has a lot to learn from their mistakes and have gained a lot of experience from this edition of the World Cup. However, there are talks that Mitchell Marsh will remain the captain of the T20I team after his disappointing performance in the marquee event.
They have, since their 2023 ODI World Cup win, failed to qualify for the final of any white-ball ICC event. They were eliminated from the Super 8 stages in the last edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024, and then lost against India in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, and are now out of the group stages.
The Australian team mainly relies on the experienced fast trio
These are worrying signs for the Australian team; They have mainly relied on their three frontline pacers, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. These three have carried the team on their shoulders in the bowling department and whenever they have not been able to deliver big performances for the Australian team, the team has struggled, especially in big tournaments.
The middle-order batting has also been a matter of concern with Steve Smith’s retirement from ODIs, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis out of form and the Australian team’s transition phase giving them a tough fight against stronger opponents.
Also read: “It’s a shame”: Jacob Bethel twists the knife on Australia’s T20 World Cup wounds