David Warner rested for India T20Is following World Cup triumph; Aaron Hardie named as replacement 

Australian opening batter David Warner has opted out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against India, starting on Thursday, November 23. The southpaw was recently involved in Australia's historic sixth ODI World Cup triumph in the subcontinent.

The Aussies had named a second-string squad led by Matthew Wade for the T20I series midway through the World Cup, with a majority of big names being given a rest.

All-rounder Aaron Hardie has been named as a replacement by Cricket Australia (CA) for the series. The 24-year-old made his white-ball debut during the tour of South Africa during the build-up to the ODI World Cup.

Regarding the decision to make a change at the last minute, CA said in a statement:

"Selectors decided Warner would return home on the back of a successful yet demanding World Cup campaign."

David Warner had a prolific 2023 ODI World Cup campaign for Australia, becoming only the second player after Rohit Sharma to record in excess of 500 runs in consecutive World Cup editions. The left-handed batter will now focus his attention on the three-match home Test series against Pakitan, which could potentially be his final red-ball assignment.

Warner's absence at the top of the order leaves a void, which could potentially lead to Steve Smith opening in the shortest format. Australia have been tempted to propel the ace batter up the order in T20Is, especially since his incredible show at the 2022-23 Big Bash League (BBL), where he slammed multiple centuries while batting as an opener.

Smith was in line to open the innings for Australia in the away series against South Africa, but he could not make it to the squad due to injury.

Team India, meanwhile, named their squad for the T20Is on Monday, September 20. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side, while Prasidh Krishna and Ishan Kishan are the only players from the World Cup squad.

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"I won't be taking a contract, definitely not" - David Warner

The southpaw, despite not firing in the World Cup final final, had a campaign to be proud of. David Warner scored centuries in the team's wins over the Netherlands and Pakistan. Furthermore, he was ranked on the fielding impact rating, with compatriot Marnus Labushcagne claiming the top spot.

Warner recently stated that while he plans to continue representing Australia, he will not likely sign a central contract.

Warner said earlier during the World Cup campaign:

"I won't be taking a contract, definitely not. How the system works in Australia is that if you play five (T20) games or ODIs, or three Tests, you get upgraded and then you're legally bound by contracting system with sponsors and stuff. That's something that becomes a bit of a pain in the backside, especially at my stage of my career."

Updated Australia squad for the T20I series against India

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.

The series will kickstart with the first T20I on Thursday, November 23, in Vishakapatnam. The set of matches serves as the first official preparation avenue for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA in June.