PAK vs AUS: Why did Marcus Stoinis miss the second T20I in Lahore?

Marcus Stoinis missed the second PAK vs AUS T20I held on January 31 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The second T20I between Pakistan and Australia is taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 31, 2026, with Pakistan aiming to seal the three-match series after their commanding 22-run victory in the opener.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat first, leveraging home advantage and the venue’s historical success, with Pakistan winning their last six matches in Lahore. The match is a key warm-up for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, starting soon after.

Pakistan’s spinners dominated PAK vs AUS 1st T20I, restricting Australia to just 146/8 in chase of 168/8, highlighting the sub-continental conditions’ challenges for the visitors.

Australia received a significant boost with the return of several key players, including captain Mitchell Marsh, who had missed the opening match due to jetlag after arriving just 48 hours prior, alongside the addition of wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis. However, veteran all-rounder Marcus Stoinis was notably absent from the playing XI despite being part of the touring squad.

Why did Marcus Stoinis miss the second PAK vs AUS T20I in Lahore?

Stoinis, a crucial middle-order batter and seam-bowling option, had also sat out the opening T20I. Reports indicate that like Marsh and Inglis (who had recently featured in the Perth Scorchers’ title winning team at Big Bash League), Stoinis too was rested or unavailable for the initial game due to similar travel fatigue, recovery, or workload management considerations.

For the second match, while Marsh and Inglis were reinstated, Stoinis did not feature in the final XI announced. His exclusion stems from workload management, and Australia’s rotation policy.

Having featured in eight BBL innings with consistent contributions, including an unbeaten 62 against Hurricanes, selectors might have opted to give him extra recovery time post the domestic season. Notably, he also suffered finger injury against Adelaide Strikers and that could be one of the reasons why he didn’t play.

Australia also prioritized spin options like Kuhnemann and Zampa, and seam variety bowling options in Bartlett, Abbott, to help counter the spin-friendly Lahore pitch, where spinners thrived in PAK vs AUS 1st T20I.

Cameron Green, who has made his return from injury, will need crucial game time, while Matt Renshaw who was recently included in the Australian squad for T20 World Cup 2026 gets another match to prove his skills.

Australia’s playing XI for 2nd T20I vs Pakistan

Matthew Short, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh(c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis(w), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa

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