Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that Australia are hoping for a virtual miracle to avoid being eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2026. He pointed out that Mitchell Marsh and company will be knocked out if Zimbabwe beat Ireland in their third Group B game in Pallekele on Tuesday, February 17.
Sri Lanka beat Australia by eight wickets in a T20 World Cup 2026 Group B game in Pallekele on Monday, February 16. They bowled the Aussies out for 181 and achieved the target with two overs to spare, handing their opponents their second defeat in three group games.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Australia are hoping for other results to go their way to avoid an early exit from the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Australia’s tata bye-bye is about to happen. They are waiting for kudrat ka nizam. That was our neighbor’s job, but New Zealand’s neighbors are doing that job now, because they lost to Zimbabwe and have lost to Sri Lanka. If Zimbabwe beat Ireland this afternoon, they (Australia) will play the last match only for formality against Oman,” he said.
Chopra pointed out that while Sri Lanka have already qualified for the Super Eights from Group B, Zimbabwe will also go beyond Australia’s reach if Sikandar Raza and company beat Ireland.
“You have won only one match. You can reach only four points. You can’t even reach six. Your last match is against Oman for sure, but Zimbabwe are already sitting on four points and Sri Lanka have already qualified with six points. If Zimbabwe beat Ireland in Pallekele, that’s it. They will reach six points and Australia can’t reach six points,” he observed.
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Zimbabwe would be in the same Super Eights group as India if they reach that stage. He pointed out that the match between Zimbabwe and India will be played in Chennai in such a scenario, noting that the Chevrons’ upset win against Australia has upset everything.
“It is weak in capital letters” – Aakash Chopra on Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 bowling attack
![Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to injuries. [P/C: Getty]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2026/02/a3565-17713007051295-1920.jpg)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Australia came into the T20 World Cup 2026 with potentially their weakest-ever seam attack.
“I have never seen an Australian bowling attack weaker than this in any World Cup. It is weak in capital letters because that trio of fast bowlers, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, all three are not there. Starc has retired and the other two are injured,” he said.
The former India opener added that the T20 World Cup 2021 champions don’t have a great spin attack either in the ongoing edition.
“Whether it’s Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott or Nathan Ellis, who is decent, but it’s a massive difference. If we talk about spinners, Adam Zampa is decent, but who is the other – Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly or Glenn Maxwell – not good enough,” Chopra observed.
Chopra highlighted that the Aussies have been let down by their famed batting lineup in the T20 World Cup 2026.
“However, the question is not about their bowling being bad. The batting is fine. Xavier Bartlett comes to bat at No. 9 for this team. People will get scared if I start naming their batting lineup. You had to score 170 runs against Zimbabwe and you lost the match by 20-odd runs. You scored six runs in the last two overs against Sri Lanka, and your four guys got out,” he elaborated.
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Australia should have reached at least a 210-run total against Sri Lanka, considering they were 104 for no loss after 8.2 overs. While acknowledging that a 182-run target was never going to be enough, the analyst praised Pathum Nissanka (100* off 52) for scoring the first century of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Edited by Kartik Iyer