Australia concluded their turbulent T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a commanding nine-wicket win over Oman on Friday, thanks to a blistering knock by captain Mitchell Marsh.
Marsh played a belligerent innings of 64 off just 33 balls, reaching his half-century inside the powerplay. He struck seven fours and four sixes, powering Australia to chase down Oman’s modest target of 105 with more than 10 overs to spare. Openers Travis Head added 32, while Josh Inglis remained unbeaten on 12 as Australia cruised to 108/1.
Earlier, Australia bowled out Oman for 104 in 16.2 overs, with Xavier Bartlett (2/27) and Adam Zampa (4/21) leading the bowling attack. Wasim Ali was Oman’s top scorer with 32 runs. Zampa’s four-wicket haul also saw him surpass Rashid Khan to become the second-highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history with 44 wickets.
Despite the emphatic win, it offered little consolation for Australia, who failed to reach the Super 8 stage for only the second time in tournament history. Losses to Zimbabwe and co-hosts Sri Lanka had already sealed their early exit.
Marsh Reflects on Disappointing Campaign
Mitchell Marsh admitted the mood in the Australian camp was subdued after their early elimination.
“We built towards this for two years. Unfortunately, in a couple of key games, we just didn’t play our best cricket,” he said.
Australia arrived at the tournament underprepared, having suffered a 3-0 series defeat in Pakistan and missing key fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood due to injuries. Marsh himself missed the first two matches after suffering a serious injury during training.
Criticism and Selection Controversies
Australian media criticised the team’s selection decisions, particularly backing an out-of-form Cameron Green and promoting Tim David to No. 4 despite his long injury layoff. Glenn Maxwell struggled with the bat, and the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood left the bowling attack lacking experience. Another controversial decision was dropping Matt Renshaw for the crucial Sri Lanka match despite him being the top scorer in earlier games.
Zampa Named Player of the Match
Adam Zampa, who was named Player of the Match, said the team was struggling to come to terms with their early exit.
“It’s been a really tough few days. There are some pretty quiet voices around the group right now,” he said.
Australia now head home after a World Cup campaign that promised much but delivered disappointment.