Australia’s national cricket team entered the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as one of the pre-tournament favourites, but their campaign has taken an unexpected turn. The marquee event is currently underway from February 7 to March 8, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. After beginning with a win over Ireland national cricket team, Australia suffered a shocking defeat against Zimbabwe, putting their qualification hopes in jeopardy.

Ahead of the tournament, Australia appointed Mitchell Marsh as captain. However, an injury ruled him out, forcing the team to hand over leadership duties to Travis Head. The injury setbacks did not end there, as premier pacers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were also sidelined. In their absence, the pace attack has been led by Nathan Ellis and Ben Dwarshuis, who now carry the responsibility of steering the bowling unit.

How can Australia qualify for Super Eights after losing to Zimbabwe?

With one win from two matches, Australia currently sit third in the group standings. They have two crucial fixtures remaining in the group stage, against Sri Lanka on February 16 and Oman on February 20. Both games are scheduled at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The most straightforward route to qualification is simple, win both remaining matches. By doing so Australia can attain six points, significantly boosting their chances of finishing in the top two and advancing to the Super Eight stage.

There is also a more complicated scenario. Australia could qualify by winning one of their remaining matches, but they would then depend on other results. If Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe lose their remaining group matches, multiple teams could finish level on points. In that case, Net Run Rate (NRR) would determine the final standings, meaning Australia would need a convincing win to improve their NRR.

However, if Australia lose both of their remaining matches, their campaign will end in the group stage. With Oman already eliminated, Australia must quickly regain momentum to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

The Indian team has been in exhilarating form in the shortest format ever since they won the T20 World Cup for the second time in 2024. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav have backed the youngsters, giving them the freedom to express themselves.

India have not lost a T20I series after their win in the 2024 T20 World Cup. While the batting department has hogged the limelight thanks to star performers like Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya, the bowlers have also stood up and made life difficult for opposition batters.

On that note, let’s take a look at three Indian bowlers with best economy rates in T20Is since the 2024 World Cup.

Top 3 Indian bowlers with best T20I economy rates since 2024 World Cup (Minimum 15 wickets):

3. Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi played 20 matches since the 2024 T20 World Cup. He picked up 28 wickets at an average of 19.50 and a strike rate of 16. The 25-year-old has an economy rate of 7.28, which is brilliant for an aggressive leg-spinner.

Bishnoi remained out of favour for a considerably amount of time, especially after Varun Chakaravarthy made a fantastic return to international cricket. However, he made a comeback during the recently-concluded series against New Zealand and bagged three wickets in two games.

2. Axar Patel

Axar Patel was a part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2024. He is currently in his second run as vice-captain of the Indian T20 team. The spin-bowling all-rounder has played 28 matches since the last World Cup. He has 30 wickets to his name at an average of 17.93 and a strike rate of 14.90.

Axar’s economy rate is a brilliant 7.22. Apart from his expertise as a bowler, the 32-year-old plays crucial knocks with the bat and is one of the best fielders in the Men in Blue setup. In India’s first game in the 2026 T20 World Cup, he finished with remarkable figures of 2/24 in four overs against the USA.

1. Washington Sundar

Not too many right-arm off-spinners have managed to hold their own in T20 cricket. Washington Sundar, however, has not just held his own but delivered match-winning performances with the ball. His economy rate since the last World Cup is a mind-boggling 5.79.

Sundar, who has joined the Indian team ahead of the clash against Namibia after recovering from a rib injury, has bagged 17 wickets in 15 matches since the previous World Cup and is averaging 11.35. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder has a bowling strike rate of 11.70.