They Ripped The Heart Out Of Australia : Aaron Finch

The race for the Super Eights in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is heating up, with Associate teams standing up to the challenge posed by the Test-playing nations with aplomb. During a ‘JioStar Media Day’, JioStar expert Aaron Finch spoke about the blockbuster India–Pakistan match, the importance of Abhishek Sharma in the Indian line-up, the performance of Associate nations, and Zimbabwe’s win against Australia.

Speaking during a ‘JioStar Media Day’, JioStar expert Aaron Finch weighed in on the importance of Abhishek Sharma in the Indian batting line-up:

“Any team that has Abhishek Sharma in it is going to be better in T20 cricket. He’s a superstar. His ability to destroy an attack from ball one and keep going in a way that not many other players in the world, if any, can match makes him a special player. So, I really hope he is well enough soon because I love watching him play. It was unfortunate to see that he spent some time in the hospital unwell, and I wish him a speedy recovery.”

On not rushing a player like Abhishek Sharma if he isn’t 100 percent fit for the Pakistan game:

“India are stacked, no doubt about that. Sanju Samson at the top got off to a flyer against Namibia, along with Ishan Kishan. As big as the game is, India would have one eye on the Super 8s, the semi-final and the final. If Abhishek is still under the weather and you don’t want to take a risk, that’s totally fine. You can’t win the tournament in the first phase, but you can certainly lose it. He’s the most damaging player in world cricket, so you want him fit and firing. If that means taking a couple of extra days of rest, that’s something you’d absolutely be prepared to do, regardless of how big the India versus Pakistan match looks on paper. You want your best players fit and healthy when the business end of the tournament comes around.”

On Zimbabwe beating Australia in Colombo:

“Zimbabwe played beautifully and deserved the win. I can understand Australia winning the toss and choosing to bowl first in a day game to a point, because the wicket did feel a little tacky in the lead-up. But that moisture disappeared as soon as the sun came out, and it was always going to get harder for batting. Zimbabwe were clinical. The way they structured their total, to be only two down, was outstanding. Brian Bennett played a brilliant innings. On paper, you might look at it and think he was only striking at 115, but that allowed the other guys to do damage around him. Then, with the ball, to rip the heart out of Australia in the Powerplay and have them four down was extraordinary. They well and truly deserved it. They fielded brilliantly as well. Overall, it was a magnificent performance from Zimbabwe, and it shouldn’t shock us anymore. They’re a good side. We’ve seen how tight this World Cup is. In T20 cricket, you can’t be a couple of per cent off and expect to win.”

On Associate nations’ performances and the need for more exposure against full-member nations:

“It’s not as simple as saying Associate teams just need to play more against the top Test-playing nations. I understand the logistical and economic challenges. But they sometimes lack the experience of closing out tight games against the best sides because they haven’t done it regularly at this level. But I also don't have the answer to how difficult that is from an ICC or a Board’s perspective. The cricket calendar is already very jam packed. I’d love to see more bilateral series, maybe even tri-series in T20 cricket. I always enjoyed tri-series because they bring different challenges; rather than just playing the same opposition, you’re chopping and changing. It gives you a helping hand when you get to a World Cup as well because it’s a similar structure. You're changing teams every game to play a new opposition.”