Sri Lanka defeated Australia by eight wickets to qualify for the Super 8 of the T20 World Cup 2026. Pathum Nissanka dominated the proceedings, scoring an unbeaten century, while keeper-batter Kusal Mendis played the perfect role of an anchor, adding 51 runs. Chasing 182 runs, the Lankan Lions never seem to be in any bother, winning the match with two overs remaining.
Following the defeat, Australia are all but out of the group stage of the global tournament. If Zimbabwe win either of their remaining two games against Ireland and Sri Lanka, the Chevrons will pull off a massive upset. The Sikandar Raza-led side has already defeated Australia earlier in the tournament and following which, they are expected to get over the line at least once in the two games.
From favourites to elimination
Leading up to the T20 World Cup, the Mitchell Marsh-led side was one of the favourites to win the competition. Many pundits and analysts named them as one of the teams to progress to the semi-final but several injuries have ruined their momentum. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were already out of the competition, while Marsh missed the opening two games of the tournament. Marcus Stoinis was dealing with injury concerns as well.
They added Steve Smith to the squad as a back-up following his scintillating performance in the Big Bash League (BBL) but he failed to earn a spot in the playing XI, despite the Sri Lanka game being a do-or-die affair. His form and experience in Sri Lanka could have come in handy, but the team management failed to make any room for the cricketer.
Looking forward, the Kangaroos need to bring an overhaul in their T20I set-up. The team depends heavily on the senior cricketers, which is against the race of time. They need modern T20I batters, who would get going from the very beginning and barring Travis Head, they lack that firepower. Players such as Cameron Green and Tim David are exciting but their consistency is a concern.
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