Australia’s embarrassing early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 has opened old wounds, and India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is back in the discussion. Actually, Hardik Pandya had missed almost half of the 2023 ODI World Cup, and India went on to lose the trophy to Australia.
Australia’s early T20 World Cup 2026 exit brings back 2023 World Cup pain
Hardik came into the discussion because the former India batter Mohammad Kaif has taken a blunt dig at Australia after their shocking first-round elimination from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. He reminded fans that the same team was called “mighty” after winning the 2023 ODI World Cup.
But that glory did not last long for the Kangaroos. Since that 2023 title win, Australia’s performance in ICC events has dipped. They crashed out in the Super Eights of the 2024 T20 World Cup. In 2025, they failed to win both the Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship final.
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And now in 2026, they failed to make it to the Super Eight round of the ongoing tournament. Following the biggest setback of the T20 World Cup 2026, Kaif linked the 2023 ODI World Cup final between India and Australia to Hardik Pandya’s absence.
If Hardik Pandya had played the Ahmedabad final in 2023, the Aussies would have lost there too: Mohammad Kaif takes a sharp dig
Notably, Hardik had injured his ankle during the tournament and missed the final against Australia. India had won every match before the final but lost the title clash by six wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Kaif believes that if Hardik had played that final, the result might have been very different.
Mohammad Kaif posted, X: “Mighty Aussies they were called after winning the 2023 50-over World Cup. After that they had a sharp fall. 2024 World T20, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 World Test Championship—they were not mighty. If Hardik Pandya had played the Ahmedabad final in 2023, the Aussies would have lost there too.”
Mighty Aussies they were called after winning the 2023 50-overs World Cup. After that they had a sharp fall. 2024 World T20, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 World Test Championship – they were not Mighty. If Hardik Pandya had played the Ahmedabad final in 2023, the Aussies would have…
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) February 17, 2026
Australia crash out as Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka storm into Super Eights
Australia’s downfall in the current T20 World Cup has been dramatic. After a strong win against Ireland in their first match, they shocked everyone by losing to Zimbabwe by 23 runs. That defeat pushed them into a must-win game against Sri Lanka.
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Despite a good start, Australia collapsed and lost by eight wickets. The final blow came when the Zimbabwe vs. Ireland match was washed out. This officially ended Australia’s campaign in the event. Now, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka moved into the Super Eights from Group B.
Hardik Pandya recalls iconic 2016 Bangladesh thriller that changed his career
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya recently recalled the tense last over against Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup 2016, when he had to defend 11 runs. It was a pressure situation, but Hardik stayed calm and helped India win in dramatic style. That match changed his career forever.
Pandya said on JioStar: “In cricket, even if there is just a 1% chance, the game is not over until the last ball of the match is bowled. That Bangladesh match was a classic example of that. One ball before the wicket, the batter had started celebrating as if the game was over.
He was celebrating right in front of me, and it was all happening before my eyes. Every time I see it, I think about how, in the early days, that was one of the challenges in my life and one of the moments in my career that shaped Hardik Pandya. I have had many more moments like this, but my journey started with that one.”
