T20 World Cup 2026: Babar Azam, Jos Buttler Among 5 Big Names Who Failed To Deliver

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has finally come to an end, with India lifting the trophy in spectacular fashion. The Men in Blue defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, successfully defending the title and becoming the first team in men’s T20 World Cup history to retain the crown.

The tournament delivered plenty of memorable performances, including match-winning knocks and stunning bowling spells. However, while several players rose to the occasion, a few global superstars endured disappointing campaigns. Despite entering the tournament with huge expectations, these big names struggled for runs, wickets, or consistency during the competition.

Five Big Names Who Flopped in T20 World Cup 2026

Babar Azam

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam had one of the most disappointing tournaments of his career. The former captain managed just 91 runs in four innings at a strike rate of around 112, numbers that were far below his usual T20 standards.

Babar struggled to dominate bowlers and often consumed too many deliveries without accelerating. The right-handed batter had an embarrassing strike-rate of 112.34 in the tournament. His slow starts put pressure on Pakistan’s middle order, and critics pointed to his inability to adapt to the aggressive demands of modern T20 cricket.

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Jos Buttler

England’s explosive opener Jos Buttler also had a tournament to forget. The destructive batter managed only 87 runs in eight matches, averaging 10.87, one of the lowest averages among top-order batters in the tournament.

Known for his power-hitting and ability to take games away from opponents, Buttler repeatedly fell early in the innings. England still managed to reach the knockout stage, but the team lacked the usual momentum at the top due to his poor form.

Abhishek Sharma

India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma had a mixed campaign. While he produced a sensational innings in the final, scoring 52 off just 21 balls, his performances earlier in the tournament were inconsistent.

In the group stage and Super 8 matches, Sharma struggled to convert starts and was dismissed cheaply several times. Beng the No.1-ranked T20I batter in the world, Abhishek couldn't live up to the expectations and scored only 141 runs in eight matches at an average of 17.62. Despite finishing the tournament on a high, his overall campaign remained uneven.

Kagiso Rabada

South Africa’s premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada entered the tournament as one of the most dangerous pace bowlers in world cricket. However, he failed to deliver the expected impact during the competition.

Rabada picked up only five wickets in the seven matches he played in the tournament and struggled with his economy rate, especially during the death overs. Opposition batters targeted him aggressively, preventing him from producing the match-winning spells South Africa had hoped for.

Glenn Maxwell

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell also endured a quiet campaign. Known for his explosive batting and game-changing abilities, Maxwell failed to produce a significant innings throughout the tournament.

He struggled to build partnerships and was dismissed cheaply in several matches. The star all-rounder featured in four matches in the tournament, scoring only 62 runs at a strike-rate of just 110.71.

With the ball, he also failed to make a major impact, picking up only two wickets, making the 2026 edition one of the least memorable ICC tournaments of his career. The lack of strong individual performances within the Australian team was one of the key reasons behind their early exit from the tournament, as they failed to even make it to the Super Eights stage.where they couldn't even made it to the Super Eights.