T20 World Cup countdown: Former champions Sri Lanka, Australia eye redemption

Winning is a habit. The euphoria of success is often the biggest motivator to attempt another shot at victory. However, the ignominy of defeat is sometimes a more powerful stimulant to put your head down and correct the wrongs. Two teams drawn in Group B of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup will hope the latter proves true.

Sri Lanka, co-host of the multi-nation tournament, failed to progress through a group comprising South Africa and Bangladesh and missed out on the Super Eight stage in 2024. Australia, ranked second in the men’s T20I rankings, suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Afghanistan and failed to reach the semifinals. Despite the poor performance, both sides have chosen to retain most of their 2024 squad rather than make wholesale changes.

Read |Pakistan departs for Sri Lanka while waiting for ICC reaction to India T20 World Cup game boycott

Australia, the 2021 champion, has performed well in the shortest format since 2024. The team has won 17 out of 27 T20Is in this span, giving it the second-best win-loss ratio among all participating teams behind India. Skipper Mitchell Marsh has led from the front with the bat, aggregating 545 runs at a strike rate of 159. Despite their dwindling returns in T20 leagues worldwide, the Aussie think tank continues to trust the experience of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, who can provide some balance with their all-round skill sets.

Read |Sri Lanka ramps up security measures for India vs Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026

After being initially named in the squad despite not featuring in the format since the previous World Cup, Test skipper Pat Cummins suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury and has been replaced by left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis. Matt Renshaw has been added to the squad in place of Matthew Short.

Sri Lanka has opted for a change in leadership, with Dasun Shanaka taking over from Charith Asalanka. The island nation has had extensive preparation in sub-continent conditions (26 out of 32 matches) over the past year-and-a-half, out of which 15 have been at home, where it will contest all its group matches.

Read | Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026 — Pat Cummins ruled out; full 15-member list announced

Much like its group rival, Sri Lanka has a settled batting group to work with. Pathum Nissanka is one among only three batters from full-member sides to record more than 1,000 T20I runs since the last World Cup. The other two being Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett and India opener Abhishesk Sharma.

Sri Lanka’s struggles arise towards the back end of the innings, with Shanaka acting as the lone aggressor. The bowling will hinge on spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, who have been the team’s highest wicket-takers since 2024.

Zimbabwe showed it will be no pushover in this group, beating the Lankan Lions during the tri-series in Pakistan. The side’s experienced core will look to support Bennett, who has had a remarkable 18 months with the bat (1,369 runs at a strike rate of 147.52).

Ireland, the fourth full member in the group, and Oman are the other two participants. The former will look to tap into its experience of playing against South Africa and Bangladesh in Asia recently. For the latter, anything other than a last-place finish will be a bonus.