The group stages of the T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, delivered surprises and underperformances from established sides.
As the Super
Eights of the tournament starts, Zimbabwe are the biggest fairy tale story as they advanced unbeaten in the group stages. Similarly, Australia ended up getting eliminated in the first round after a couple of disappointing defeats.
T20 World Cup 2026: Which Three Teams have Disappointed?
Afghanistan, semifinalists in 2024, endured a campaign of near-misses and heartbreak. They started with a narrow five-wicket loss to New Zealand, followed by a thrilling but agonizing double Super Over defeat to South Africa that virtually ended their hopes. A win over UAE provided relief, and they capped the group with an 82-run thrashing of Canada, powered by Ibrahim Zadran's 95*. However, the inability to convert close contests into wins left them eliminated early, a stark contrast to their giant-killing reputation under outgoing coach Jonathan Trott.
Australia, the 2021 champions, suffered their worst T20 World Cup showing in years, crashing out in the group stage. An injury-hit squad faltered badly, losing to Sri Lanka and minnows Zimbabwe in major upsets. These defeats exposed batting fragility and bowling inconsistencies, prompting Cricket Australia to announce a "forensic review" upon their return. They play their final inconsequential match against Oman, marking a calamitous exit for the perennial contenders.
England, despite qualifying for the Super 8, underperformed relative to their pedigree as two-time winners. They scraped through Group C with narrow victories - beating Nepal by just four runs after Nepal nearly pulled off a historic upset and overcoming Italy by 24 runs in a tense contest. Wins were unconvincing, with batting collapses and reliance on individual efforts highlighting a lack of cohesion. Close calls against associate nations have raised questions about their form and with the Super Eights up next, they will have to overcome steeper challenges.
