David Warner withdraws from India T20 series; Aaron Hardie set to step in for five-match encounter

ICC Champions Trophy: Australia's opener, David Warner, has withdrawn from the upcoming five-match T20 series against India, slated to begin on Thursday. The successful yet demanding World Cup campaign led selectors to replace Warner with all-rounder Aaron Hardie.

Cricket Australia confirmed Warner's departure, highlighting his pivotal role as the team's top run-scorer in the World Cup with 535 runs at an impressive average of 48.63. Warner's decision to step back from the series aligns with his plans to skip a Cricket Australia contract in 2024-25. However, he remains available for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean and potentially the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 in Pakistan.

Warner's absence signifies a notable shift in Australia's squad, with only seven players from the World Cup-winning ODI squad remaining in India for the series. Among them are Sean Abbott, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa, alongside reserve spinner Tanveer Sangha.

Meanwhile, in the Indian camp, Suryakumar Yadav assumes the team's leadership in the absence of Hardik Pandya, who sustained an injury during the recently concluded Cricket World Cup.

The squads for the series are as follows:

Australia: 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: 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)

- With inputs from agencies

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