As the unbelievable double Super Over game between Afghanistan and South Africa extended in Ahmedabad, the Australian fans were given a huge jolt as Travis Head came out for the toss instead of regular captain Mitchell Marsh in Colombo, where Australia kicked off their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.
While a few other teams have played their second group match or are preparing for it, Australia took the field for the first time in this competition on Wednesday, which was the fifth day since the tournament began.
Having failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2024 edition, Australia are beleaguered further as they are without their famed pace trio in the T20 World Cup 2026: Mitchell Starc is retired from T20Is, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood both are down with injuries.
More bad omens surround the kangaroos, as now captain Marsh has also picked up an injury that forced him to miss Australia’s match against Ireland, with the selectors and management now calling up Steve Smith as a replacement if Marsh gets ruled out from the tournament.
AUS vs IRE: Why Is Mitchell Marsh Not Playing Today? Steve Smith Called Up To Join Australia Squad
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh is suffering from internal testicular bleeding, a consequence of sustaining a blow to his groin earlier this week while training. This is why he missed Australia’s match against Ireland on Wednesday in Colombo, with Head leading the side.
Steve Smith has been asked to fly to Colombo as a standby player in case Marsh gets ruled out of the remainder of the T20 World Cup.
Smith has been in sensational form as an opener in the last few years, with his exploits in the BBL for the Sydney Sixers at the top of the order making huge waves. Right now, he is not part of the 15-man squad and hence can’t play until he replaces Marsh or someone else.
Prior to Marsh’s injury, Australia have already been fretting over injuries within their original 15-man squad. Hazlewood is not officially replaced yet, while Tim David is still recovering from a hamstring injury and wasn’t part of the XI against Ireland.
In the AUS vs IRE match, Head won the toss and elected to bat first.
AUS vs IRE Playing XI:
Ireland: Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Paul Stirling (c), Barry McCarthy, Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Benjamin Calitz, Mark Adair, Matthew Humphreys
Australia: Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Travis Head (c), Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell, Cooper Connolly, Matthew Kuhnemann, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa
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