The T20 World Cup craze continues, but the Australian fans face bad news, as Australia is now officially out of the 2026 tournament at the group stage. Despite being one of the strongest teams and having a history of strong performance, things haven’t worked out for Australia this year.
Interestingly, rain became catastrophic for the team, and they got eliminated, despite having a match left.
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Australia Out of T20 World Cup After Zimbabwe vs Ireland
The Zimbabwe vs Ireland match on February 17, 2026, became the downfall moment for Australia, as the match was rained off without a ball being bowled. The match between the two teams was abandoned due to rain, which continued even three hours after the scheduled toss.
As a result, each side gained a point from the rained-off tie, with Australia having two points. With that, Zimbabwe got pushed to five points, unachievable by Australia.
Notably, this is the first time Australia has been knocked out of the World Cup stage (including T20 and ODI formats) since 2009. Also, Zimbabwe went through to the Super 8 phase.
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Current Group B Standings (Top 4)
| Team | Match | Points | Status |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 6 | Qualified |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 5 | Qualified |
| Ireland | 4 | 3 | Eliminated |
| Australia | 3 | 2 | Eliminated |
Why is Australia Out of the T20 World Cup?
Although the Zimbabwe vs Ireland match at the Pallekele International Stadium is the key reason behind Australia’s elimination, their poor performance over the tournament is the hidden culprit.
Experts highlight that the performance of Australian players has not been up to their usual mark, primarily due to players’ injuries.
Injuries, especially to the powerplay specialist Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, resulted in poor defense on the ground. Later, the rain washed away their hopes.
During the Zimbabwe vs Australia match, AUS suffered a 23-run loss. This gave Zimbabwe a big advantage. Also, they ended up gaining just 1 point and a poor Net Run Rate during the match with Sri Lanka on February 16.
Critics point out issues with their batting, arguing they were short of form and coherence.
One Match Left Yet Elimination
Notably, Australia has one remaining match against Oman on Friday, February 20. However, it is mathematically impossible for them to gain enough points to continue in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Even if they win, the maximum they can gain is 4 points, which will still place them behind Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
What Happens Next?
The elimination of Australia from the T20 World Cup tournament is a done deal, but they will still have to play their final match against Oman. On the other side, Zimbabwe advances to the Super 8s, where they will join the group including India, South Africa, and the West Indies.
All Australia can now do is play with pride and await the next tournament, in October 2028, which they will co-host with New Zealand.