Warner out of T20 series after World Cup triumph

Australia will be without one of their most dangerous batters for their whirlwind T20 series in India with David Warner to return home following the nation's World Cup triumph.

Warner – Australia's leading run-scorer with 535 at 48.63 during their successful World Cup campaign – has been withdrawn from the 15-player squad set to face India again just four days after the 50-over showpiece.

The veteran opener will instead return home ahead of his final Test summer having previously stated his plans to retire from the longest format following the New Year's match against Pakistan in Sydney.

Emerging West Australian allrounder Aaron Hardie joined the Aussie squad over the weekend as a replacement for Warner after making both his ODI and T20I debuts during the white-ball tour of South Africa in September.

"Selectors decided Warner would return home on the back of a successful yet demanding World Cup campaign," Cricket Australia said in a statement.

Despite signalling his intention to call time on his Test career, Warner is determined to play on in the white-ball formats, replying to social media post this morning highlighting his ODI World Cup record with: "Who said I'm finished??"

The 37-year-old said last week prior to the semi-final victory over South Africa that he wouldn't take a CA contract in 2024-25 but would be available for next year's T20 World Cup in the United States and Caribbean and potentially the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 in Pakistan.

Steve Smith looms as a potential replacement for Warner at the top of the order for the five-match series beginning in Visakhapatnam on Thursday (12.30am Friday AEDT), with incumbents Travis Head and Matt Short also part of the touring party.

Smith reinvented himself as an T20 opener during an incredible five-game stint with the Sydney Sixers last summer and was due to push his case for the spot in Australia's T20 line up during the September's 3-0 victory against South Africa until being ruled out with a wrist injury.

With Warner also absent to manage his workloads ahead of the ODI World Cup, Short was handed an international debut alongside Sunday's player of the final Head, with the right-hander impressing with a blistering 30-ball 66 in just his second match.

Warner's withdrawal means just seven of Australia's World Cup-winning ODI squad with remain in India for the series – Sean Abbott, Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Smith, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa – as well as reserve spinner Tanveer Sangha.

Kane Richardson has also replaced Spencer Johnson in the original squad announced last month after the left-armer aggravated the hamstring injury he sustained in his ODI debut against India in September.

Suryakumar Yadav will be the only India player from their World Cup final XI out to get one back on the visitors in Thursday's series opener after selectors named a new-look 15-player squad earlier this morning.

Suryakumar will skipper the hosts in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma, with Ishan Kishan and Prasidh Krishna the only other players to also feature in the World Cup squad.

Shreyas Iyer will join the squad as vice-captain for the last two T20s on December 1 and 3 after India opted to rest the majority of their first-choice XI ahead of a white-ball tour of South Africa next month.

While one World Cup has just concluded, the two nations will begin turning their attention to next year's T20 showpiece with the five matches with take place in Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Raipur and Bengaluru from November 23 to December 3.

Australia then return home for the start of the home Test summer against Pakistan on December 14 in Perth.

Qantas T20 Tour of India

November 23: First T20, Vishakhapatnam

November 26: Second T20, Thiruvananthapuram

November 28: Third T20, Guwahati

December 1: Fourth T20, Raipur

December 3: Fifth T20, Bengaluru

Australia T20 squad: Matthew Wade (c), Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa

India T20 squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Shreyas Iyer (last two matches only)

^{All matches start 12.30am AEDT on the following date.
All matches broadcast on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports}