Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026- Key takeaways

Umesh Sharma

Australia's T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh (L) with Pat Cummins (R) (Source: AFP) Australia's T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh (L) with Pat Cummins (R) (Source: AFP) 

The T20 World Cup 2021 champions, Australia, recently announced their 15-member provisional squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is set to lead the side for the second successive edition after captaining in the T20 World Cup 2024. 

Notably, 11 players in Australia's squad have been retained from their 15-man squad in the previous edition. Four new additions in Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Short, and Matthew Kuhnemann are set to don yellow outfits for the first time in the prestigious cricket biennial.

Given that, here’s a look at the key takeaways from Australia’s squad for the tenth edition of the T20 World Cup. 

Injured stars included, availability subject to fitness

The selectors have included three injured stars, whose availability in the tournament is still subject to fitness. The veteran pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been struggling with injuries. Cummins has played only one game in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 owing to his back injury. The same injury forced him to sit out of the first two Tests in the Ashes, followed by his being ruled out in the last two Tests as well. 

On the other hand, Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the entire Ashes 2025-26 due to his hamstring strain. His availability for playing XI is uncertain, considering his ongoing recovery from the injury. Besides these two, the hard-hitting all-rounder Tim David also sustained a hamstring injury during the ongoing Big Bash League 2025-26. 

All-round depth for adaptability across conditions 

Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad includes a good enough set of all-rounders, including Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, and Cooper Connolly. Green and Stoinis will be there as the two pace-bowling all-rounders, alongside three spin-bowling all-rounder choices in Maxwell, Short, and Connolly. 

All of the above-mentioned all-rounders are also known for their power-hitting in middle and death overs. So, having five all-rounders in the mix with both spin and pace-bowling options will provide depth for brilliance in the marquee international tournament. 

Pace attack reshaped 

Interestingly, the T20 World Cup-winning pacer Mitchell Starc hung up his boots in the shortest format of the game in 2024. So, the Aussie pace attack in the upcoming edition will be reshaped in his absence. 

Australia’s pace attack in the 2026 edition will include Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Xavier Bartlett, and Nathan Ellis. The uncertainty around Cummins and Hazlewood might prompt management to go ahead with Bartlett and Ellis as the two core pacers, with Cameron Green or Marcus Stoinis as the third pace-bowling option. 

Spin-Heavy attack 

Apart from the reshaped pace attack, Australia’s bowling attack looks quite spin-heavy. The selectors seem to have kept the spin-friendly conditions in India and Sri Lanka. Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Cooper Connolly, and Matthew Short will be the five spin-bowling options for Australia. 

Having all their group-stage matches scheduled in Sri Lanka’s spin-heavy conditions, the Aussies might go ahead with the XI containing two pacers and three spinners. Their spin combination is expected to include the veteran leggie Zampa and left-arm orthodox spinner Kuhnemann as two key elements. 

They could also use Maxwell, Connolly, and Short as other spin options to restrict the opponent batters in the middle overs of the game. 

Surprising young picks 

What has come as a surprise in Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad is the inclusion of young batting all-rounder Cooper Connolly, alongside the left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann. Both the players are relatively less-experienced when compared to the rest of the Aussie World Cup squad. 

Connolly and Kuhnemann have represented Australia in only eight and five T20Is, respectively. Both are currently active in the ongoing BBL 2025-26 for their respective sides. Kuhnemann has scalped three wickets in four innings, but he is expected to have a good impact in the World T20, considering spin-friendly tracks. 

On the other hand, Connolly has impressed with the bat in the BBL’s current edition. The 22-year-old has accumulated 174 runs in five innings, with an average of 34.80, registering a strike rate of 158.18, including two half-centuries.