Australia have suffered a major setback ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with fast bowler Pat Cummins ruled out of the tournament due to injury. The Australian men’s team have finalised their 15-member squad for the marquee event, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, with Mitchell Marsh set to lead the side.

According to the ICC, Cummins has not fully recovered from his ongoing back injury and will therefore miss the global tournament. His absence is a significant blow to the 2021 T20 World Cup winners, given his experience and impact across formats. In addition to Cummins, top-order batter Matthew Short has also been left out of the original 15-member squad.

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Left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis and batter Matthew Renshaw have been included in the squad as Australia look to balance their resources for sub-continent conditions. The selectors believe both players bring versatility and depth to the lineup ahead of the demanding World Cup schedule.

Australian selector Tony Dodemaide expressed confidence in the replacements and explained the thinking behind their inclusion. “With Pat needing more time to recover from his back injury Ben is a ready replacement who offers a left-arm pace option as well as dynamic fielding and late-order hitting. We believe his ability to swing the ball at good pace along with clever variations will be well suited to the conditions we expect and overall structure of the squad,” Dodemaide said as quoted by the ICC website.

Dodemaide also spoke highly of Matthew Renshaw’s recent form across formats. “Matt has impressed in all formats of late, including in multiple roles in white ball formats for Australia, the Queensland Bulls and the Brisbane Heat. With the top order settled and spin heavy conditions expected in the pool stages in Sri Lanka, we also feel Matt provides extra middle order support, with Tim David completing his return to play program in the early phase of the tournament,” he added.

Australia have been placed in Group B of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Oman. Their campaign will begin against Ireland on February 11 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, as they look to defend their reputation as one of the strongest sides in the shortest format.

The Australia squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 includes Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.

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