The Cricket Australia selectors on Thursday (January 1) announced Australia’s 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played between 20 teams from February 7 to March 8 in five venues across India and three in Sri Lanka. In the team picked for the shortest format mega-event in the subcontinent, the Australian selectors have included Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood despite them being out of action these days due to injury-related issues, but left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, who is leading Australia’s bowling attack in the ongoing Ashes series against England, was not included.
The exclusion of Starc from the squad came as a surprise for fans. But the legendary left-arm pacer from New South Wales, who is also Australia’s
joint second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is, was not considered because he is not an active T20I cricketer anymore.
Starc, after playing 65 T20I matches and taking 79 wickets for the Australian team from 2012 to 2024, announced his retirement from the 20-over format of the game on September 1, 2025.
He will, however, continue to play in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Capitals.
No Mitchell Owen and Ben Dwarshuis
While Starc was not available for selection for the T20 World Cup 2026 because of his retirement from T20Is, the Australian selectors decided not to include Punjab Kings’ all-rounders Mitchell Owen and Ben Dwarshuis either. Owen played a big role in the Hobart Hurricanes’ maiden Big Bash League (BBL) title win last year, and his heroics also helped him earn an IPL deal with PBKS and an Australia call-up, whereas Dwarshuis played in Australia’s last T20I series against India and impressed with his bowling.
For the shortest format megaevent in India, spin-bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly, who last played a T20I match for the Australian team in July 2026 against the West Indies, is included in the squad along with spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.
Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Mitchell Marsh (C), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (WK), Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
