Australia knocked out of T20 World Cup as Zimbabwe qualify for Super 8s

Synopsis

Zimbabwe has secured a Super 8 spot in the T20 World Cup 2026. Their match against Ireland was washed out by rain. This result means Zimbabwe advances. Australia's campaign has ended at the group stage. This is a rare early exit for the 2021 champions. Zimbabwe remains unbeaten in Group B.

Zimbabwe have qualified for the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after their Group B match against Ireland was abandoned due to rain. The no-result confirmed Zimbabwe’s progression and ended Australia’s campaign at the group stage, marking an early exit for the 2021 champions.

Persistent rain at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium prevented the toss and any play on Tuesday. Match officials called off the fixture without a ball bowled. As per tournament rules, both teams received one point each. The shared point took Zimbabwe beyond Australia’s maximum possible tally, sealing qualification irrespective of other results.

Zimbabwe advance from Group B alongside Sri Lanka. Australia and Ireland are out of contention. The washout effectively ended Australia’s hopes even before their final group fixture.

The Super 8 berth caps a strong group-stage run for Zimbabwe. After missing out on the 2024 T20 World Cup, the side remained unbeaten in Group B this time and built momentum with a key 23-run win over Australia earlier in the week.

In that match in Colombo, Zimbabwe posted 169/2 after opting to bat. Brian Bennett scored an unbeaten 64 to anchor the innings. The bowlers then restricted Australia to 146 all out. Blessing Muzarabani returned figures of 4/17, while Brad Evans took 3/23 to dent Australia’s top order.

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The victory was only the second time Zimbabwe defeated Australia in a T20 World Cup. They remain unbeaten against Australia in the tournament, repeating a notable upset from the 2007 edition.

Australia’s campaign had already suffered after losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The rain in Pallekele confirmed their elimination and brought their tournament to a close before the Super 8 stage.

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