along with 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup The event is quickly approaching and has been billed as one of the most unpredictable in recent years. Different venue conditions, a congested international schedule and the slight advantage of the shortest format mean there is no guaranteed path to the last four. While India are widely considered the favorites due to their home familiarity, depth and overall balance, several other teams are quietly building strong lineups of their own. Among them, Australia remains a team that cannot be ignored, especially given their history at the top of major ICC events. former australian captain Ricky Ponting It is believed that despite the fierce competition, Australia still has all the conditions required to reach the semi-finals.

Ricky Ponting gives reasons for Australia to reach semi-finals

Speaking under ICC scrutiny, Ponting was confident of Australia’s chances and highlighted the overall balance of the squad. He pointed out that although India Australia may be favorites due to conditions and talent, but Australia are capable of challenging any team in the tournament. Ponting said flexibility is the biggest strength of the Australian team, especially with the abundance of quality all-rounders.

“If you look at the teams, I think they have as good a chance as any other team. I think India are probably the clear favorites in this tournament because of the conditions, the talent and the group of players they’ve put together. They’ll be tough to beat, but I really think we’ll see Australia get to the semi-finals.” Ponting said.

He highlighted the existence of players like Marcus Stonis, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Greenall of which offer a wide selection of bats and balls. Ponting also picked young all-rounders Cooper ConnollyPerformed well in the Big Bash League and won the MVP award for the second consecutive year. Ponting pointed out that if the pitch helps the spinners, Australia can easily bring in Connolly to support Maxwell and Adam Zampagiving them three genuine spin options without diluting their batting depth. He believes that this adaptability could be the deciding factor in a long and arduous race.

“One thing they have in this team is really good flexibility, with so many all-rounders. You look at (Marcus) Stoinis, (Glenn) Maxwell, Cameron Green, there’s a lot of them. Cooper Connolly. The youngster has just won the MVP again in the BBL (Big Bash League) for the second year in a row. If things look like it’s going to turn around, I think Australia will back up Maxwell and (Adam) Zampa with Connolly. So, they have three spin bowling options,” Ponting added.

Big match experience is key in ICC Championships

Ponting also spoke about the unique challenges of ICC events, saying winning these events is extremely difficult due to the quality of opponents and pressure situations. He admitted that Australia struggled in the last edition as their senior players failed to deliver at crucial moments. In a tournament like the T20 World Cup, timing is everything and success often depends on star players finding form at the same time. Ponting believes Australia have learned that lesson and they will be keen to ensure their match-winners are relevant when it matters most in 2026.

“What I know about these ICC tournaments is, number one, they are very difficult to win because all the best teams in the world are playing in these tournaments and if you want to win you have to get all the good players to perform at the right time. That’s probably what Australia didn’t do last time. They just didn’t get the shot at the right time to win the tournament,” Ponting further added.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2026: Ricky Ponting’s top run scorer and player of the tournament

Expectations are high despite Pat Cummins’ absence

However, Australia will go into the tournament without one of their biggest match-winners. Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the 2026 T20 World Cup due to an ongoing lower back stress injury, leaving a major void in leadership and bowling. Under the leadership of the captain Mitchell MarshAustralia is expected to miss Cummins’ calm demeanor and big-race temperament.

Despite the setback, the rest of the squad looks settled and experienced. With a strong attacking pace, versatile all-around player and proven performance in pressure games, expectations remain high.

Also read: Aakash Chopra selects Australia’s starting XI for T20 World Cup 2026