India would have beaten Australia had Hardik Pandya played World Cup 2023 final: Kaif

T20 World Cup: Mohammad Kaif said that Hardik Pandya would have made the difference for India against Australia had he played in the 2023 ODI World Cup. On Tuesday, the Aussies were eliminated at the group stage of the T20 World Cup.

Mohammad Kaif said that had Hardik Pandya played the 2023 World Cup final, India would have beaten Australia. Kaif made the comments while questioning Australia’s dominance after the Aussies crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2026.

India missed Hardik’s services in that 2023 final after he was ruled out due to an ankle injury sustained against Bangladesh. Despite winning nine matches on the trot, India fell short in the final, losing by six wickets in front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium. Australia successfully chased 241 with seven overs to spare, thanks largely to Travis Head’s explosive 137.

Since then, Australia have struggled in global tournaments. Kaif remarked that while Australia were once called mighty, their performances since the 2023 World Cup victory no longer justify that label.

Kaif wrote, “Mighty Aussies, they were called after winning the 2023 50-overs World Cup. After that they had a sharp fall. 2024 World T20, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 World Test Championship - they were not Mighty. If Hardik Pandya had played the Ahmedabad final in 2023, the Aussies would have lost there too."

With their T20 World Cup exit, Australia’s recent form in ICC events has been inconsistent, particularly over the past two and a half years. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, they failed to reach the semifinals following a shock loss to Afghanistan. During the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Australia were eliminated in the semifinals, falling to India.

In the 2023–25 World Test Championship, they finished second with a points percentage of 67.54, winning 13 of 19 Tests to reach the final at Lord’s. However, they lost the final to South Africa, ending their decade-long unbeaten streak in major ICC finals.