Australia had to take the exit door as soon as the Zimbabwe vs. Ireland match on February 17 was cancelled due to rain in Balagolla. As the second-best team of Group B, Zimbabwe will join India, South Africa, and the West Indies in Group 1 for the round of eight.
As Australia went out of the equation, despite having a strong squad, India will have to face Zimbabwe in the upcoming phase of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. On paper, as an opposing side, Zimbabwe can be an easier competitor for Team India.
We didn’t bothered: Sitanshu Kotak
Team India has been in dominating form since the beginning of the tournament. In the group stage, the defending champion remains undefeated so far after playing three matches, which were against the United States, Namibia, and Pakistan. The Men in Blue will play their fourth group match against the Netherlands on February 18.
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stated that the entire team is not bothered about the upset campaign of the Australia cricket team. No matter which team India will have to perform against, the focus will be the same—a win. Like many cricket experts, Kotak also had the strong belief to see the Aussies in the next round of the competition. Theoretically, they were among the top contenders to play the semi-finals.
The shocking defeat against Zimbabwe might have damaged the Australians’ momentum and possibilities in the T20 World Cup 2026 most. Kotak opined that as soon as Zimbabwe outplayed Australia, he knew the remaining path in the tournament would not be a safe journey for Australia.
“Everyone was thinking that Australia would qualify and come into our group in the Super 8s. We knew about this possibility too. But when we lost to Zimbabwe, we realized Zimbabwe might end up in our group. Today’s match between Zimbabwe and Ireland got rained off,” Sitanshu Kotak told the media during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India will play against Zimbabwe
The batting coach of Team India further stated that whether it is Zimbabwe or Australia, the team will take the field to do the best. In the round of eight, along with Zimbabwe, Suryakumar Yadav-led team will have to play against South Africa and the West Indies as well.
“After the match against Zimbabwe, we knew the match against Sri Lanka would be tough for Australia, looking at the conditions. I don’t think we are bothered about what happened. Either we play Australia, or we play Zimbabwe. We will just try to do our best against whoever we play,” he added.
Rajiv Shukla congratulates Zimbabwe for their progressive form
Rajiv Shukla, BCCI vice-president, wrote on social media that the emergence of the Zimbabwe cricket team is a good sign for the cricket ecosystem. He congratulates the Chevrons for displaying high-class cricket in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
This World Cup continues to surprise and inspire. Australia’s exit and Zimbabwe’s qualification for the Super Eight truly reflect the growing competitiveness of the sport. Congratulations to @ZimCricketv . pic.twitter.com/RTFgN6KaTm
— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) February 17, 2026
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