Australia suffer shock exit at T20 World Cup after crucial group game washed out
The former tournament winners needed favours from elsewhere for them to get out the group stage
Australia are out of the men's T20 World Cup after a crucial group stage match between Zimbabwe and Ireland was washed out by rain.
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The 2021 winners needed the Irish to beat their opponents to stand a chance of qualifying from Group B behind leaders and Sri Lanka, but the game was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of persistent rain.
The result also meant bad news for Ireland who needed the two points from a win to have any chance to progress to the Super Eight's stage.
Zimbabwe and co-hosts Sri Lanka will now fight it out for top spot in the group when they meet in Colombo on Thursday, while Australia end their campaign in ignominy back in Pallekele the following day.
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Australia got off to a positive start to the tournament when they beat Ireland by 67 runs, but back-to-back defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka – the latter by eight wickets and with two overs to spare – left their fate in the hands of others.
A wonderful 52-ball hundred from Pathum Nissanka in Pallekele put Australia to the sword, helping to clinch victory by eight wickets.
Steve Smith was drafted into the Australian squad on Monday, just a day before their elimination.
Ireland, who lost their opening fixture to Sri Lanka by 20 runs before going down to Australia, trounced Oman by 96 runs, but their hopes of making it out of Group B were ultimately dashed by the weather.
It comes a day after England avoided a scare against Italy to secure their passage to the next round.
England's next opponents are still to be confirmed but they will play that phase in Sri Lanka, starting on Sunday.
Co-hosts India remain favourites to win the whole tournament, and have so far won all three matches inckuding against arch rivals Pakistan.