Australia have suffered a major setback ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to begin on February 7. Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury, and the selectors have drafted Ben Dwarshuis into the squad while also confirming that Steve Smith will not be part of the campaign.
Matthew Renshaw has been included as a replacement for Matt Short. Renshaw made his T20I debut in the first T20I against Pakistan just two days ago. Meanwhile, Steve Smith has been left out despite calls for his inclusion after an impressive cameo for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League season.
Pat Cummins Ruled Out of T20 World Cup; Ben Dwarshuis Named Replacement
Australia selector Tony Dodemaide said that Pat Cummins needs more time to recover from his back injury. Dodemaide stated that Ben Dwarshuis adds variety with his left-arm pace and the ability to score late-order runs.
“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,” Dodemaide said.
“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.
Matthew Renshaw Replaces Matt Short in World Cup Squad
Tony Dodemaide said that Matthew Renshaw earned his spot after impressive performances across formats in recent times. With the top order settled and spin-friendly conditions expected in Sri Lanka, Dodemaide stated that Renshaw adds stability to the middle order.
“Matt (Renshaw) 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.
“As a left hander, he (Renshaw) also offers a point of difference to the middle order batting.”
Australia’s Updated Squad for T20 World Cup:
Mitchell Marsh (c), 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, Adam Zampa
Australia will open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Ireland on February 11 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Australia will also face Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Oman in their remaining group-stage matches.
Each team will play single round-robin matches in the group stage, with the top sides moving on to the Super Eight round and the rest exiting the tournament. In the Super Eight, eight teams will be split into two groups of four, and results from the first round will not carry forward.
Teams will face each other once in the Super Eight, and the top two from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals will advance to the final, where the T20 World Cup 2026 title will be decided on March 8.
