Can Australia really be eliminated from the World Cup? What does Pakistan need to do to qualify? Al Jazeera explains.
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Published February 16, 2026
After two weeks of action at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, only three teams have reserved their spots in the next round of the tournament, with the remaining teams vying for the remaining five spots.
In a rare scenario, 2021 champion Australia is in danger of dropping out of the tournament at the first hurdle, while America doesn’t have a good chance of advancing.
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Al Jazeera analyzes the chances and routes to qualify for the Super Eight as follows:
Which teams qualified for the Super Eight?
Defending champions India defeated Pakistan on Sunday to become the newest team to join West Indies and South Africa.
Which team will be eliminated from the Super Eight Race?
Namibia, Nepal and Oman were eliminated from the tournament after losing all three of their group stage matches. They will each have one group game left to play, but that will not be crucial to their promotion chances.
Can Pakistan still qualify for the Super Eights?
A win against Namibia in the final group match would see Pakistan advance to the next stage, but a loss could see them face the US in a battle of net run rates.
The 2009 champions currently have a net run rate of 0.932, which is higher than the United States’ 0.788, but a loss to Namibia and that difference could change that number and put Pakistan in trouble.
Will Australia really be eliminated from the T20 World Cup?
As was the case in 2009, the prospect of Australia being eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup will come as a shock to cricket fans accustomed to seeing the yellow and gold dominating the world championships.
Australia must win their remaining two matches – against Sri Lanka on Monday and against Oman on Friday – to qualify for the Super 8s.
However, winning both matches may not be enough for Australia as they could be eliminated from the World Cup based on their net run rate. The much-needed win gives them six points, but Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, who currently sit at the top of the table, could also finish the group stage with six points each.
The 2021 champions will want either Zimbabwe to beat Sri Lanka or the African side to lose to Ireland to qualify.
If Australia lose to Sri Lanka, they will need to beat Oman to earn four points. Ahead of that match, which will be the last game of the group stage, Australia will be hoping Zimbabwe lose both games to finish with two points.
Which other teams qualify for the Super Eight?
Group A: Pakistan are favorites to qualify second, with the USA still in the mix.
Group B: This group will be the most exciting of the four groups for the final round as all three countries – Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Australia – can get through.
Group C: England qualify for the Super 8s if they win against Italy in their final group game.
Group D: New Zealand will be confident of joining current group leaders South Africa in the next round with a win over bottom-placed Canada. Afghanistan is still in contention for a spot, but their only chance to qualify is if they beat Canada and New Zealand lose to Canada.
When will the T20 World Cup Super Eights match be played?
The second stage of the tournament will take place from February 21st to March 1st.
