6 Australian players withdrawn as Cricket Australia announces updated squad for India T20Is

Australia are currently trailing 0-2 in the five-match T20I series against India.

Cricket Australia announced wholesale changes in their national squad which is in India for the ongoing five-match T20I series. India are currently leading the series 2-0 with the third match to be played on November 28, 2023, in Guwahati.

India have already rested the majority of their players from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 squad for this series, with Suryakumar Yadav leading a young side that has done extremely well against a formidable Australian team led by Matthew Wade.

But now as a part of a major overhaul citing workload management, the majority of the players that played in Australia’s 2023 World Cup-winning campaign as well as the ongoing T20I series against India will withdraw and return to Australia.

With three matches yet to be played in the series, Cricket Australia decided to recall two star players, while four more players will be flying back home on Wednesday.

The pair of Steve Smith and Adam Zampa has been flown back home from India ahead of the 3rd T20I between the two teams in Guwahati. Apart from them, as part of workload management, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis, and Sean Abbott will all return home following the completion of the third T20I.

Ben McDermott, Chris Green, Josh Phillippe and others to join the Australia squad in India

Travis Head, who played an important role in Australia’s World Cup final victory a few days ago, will be the only player from the World Cup-winning squad to remain in India for the balance of the T20I series, along with Tanveer Sangha, who was with the World Cup team as a traveling reserve.

Wicket-keeper-batter Josh Philippe and big-hitter Ben McDermott will join the Australia squad ahead of the 3rd T20I in Guwahati. On the other hand, Ben Dwarshuis and spinner Chris Green will join the squad in Raipur ahead of the fourth match.

“One of the things we had in our planning coming into this series was to have a look at Steve (Smith) up the top and we’ve had a chance to do that now. We’ve been extremely happy with the intent that he’s shown with the bat, (I) couldn’t fault it actually,” stand-in head coach Andre Borovec said after the second match of the series.

Updated Australia T20I squad: Matthew Wade (c), Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Chris Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Kane Richardson.

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