Mohammad Kaif said that if Hardik Pandya had played the 2023 World Cup final, India would have beaten Australia. Kaif made the comments while questioning Australia’s dominance after the Aussies were knocked out of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India missed Hardik’s services for the 2023 final after he was ruled out due to an ankle injury sustained against Bangladesh. Although India won nine matches on the trot, it was not enough in the final, lost by six wickets in front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium. Australia successfully chased down 241 with seven overs to spare, largely thanks to Travis Head’s explosive 137.
Since then, Australia have struggled in world tournaments. Kaif noted that while Australia were once called a powerhouse, their performances since winning the 2023 World Cup no longer justify that label.
Kaif wrote: “Mighty Aussies, they were called up after winning the 50-overs World Cup in 2023. They had a steep fall after that. 2024 World T20, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 World Test Championship – they were not Mighty. Had Hardik Pandya played the Ahmedabad3 final, the Aussies would have lost there too.”
AUSTRALIA CONTINUES TO FIGHT
Due to their exit from the T20 World Cup, Australia’s recent form in ICC events has been inconsistent, especially in the last two-and-a-half years. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, they failed to reach the semi-finals after a shock loss to Afghanistan. During the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Australia were eliminated in the semi-finals, losing to India.
In the 2023–25 Test World Cup, they finished second with a run percentage of 67.54 and won 13 out of 19 Tests to reach the final at Lord’s. However, they lost the final to South Africa, ending their 10-year unbeaten streak in ICC major finals.
HOW DID AUSTRALIA FEED AT T20 WC 2026?
Australia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 campaign ended in disappointment as the 2021 champions were eliminated in the group stage. They managed just one win – by 67 runs over Ireland – but suffered a shock 23-run defeat to Zimbabwe in Colombo when they were bowled out for 146 while chasing 169.
Blessing Muzarabani’s four-wicket haul stunned the former champions. Australia then lost to co-hosts Sri Lanka by eight wickets, Pathum Nissanko’s unbeaten century sealing the victory. Rain-affected washouts in the Ireland vs Zimbabwe match confirmed Australia could not progress to the Super 8s, marking their earliest exit from the World Cup since 2009.
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– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
February 17, 2026