The Aussies named their squad on Saturday for the five-game series that commences in Visakhapatnam on November 23, with keeper-batter Matthew Wade to captain an Australian side that includes experienced heads David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.
World Cup squad members Josh Inglis and Sean Abbott and travelling reserve Tanveer Sangha will also remain in India, with IPL stars Tim David, Matt Short and Nathan Ellis set to join their Australia teammates in the sub-continent at the completion of the World Cup.
Regular Australia skipper Pat Cummins to return home, Matthew Wade to lead
Pat Cummins will return home at the completion of the World Cup to prepare for Australia's home Test summer against Pakistan and the West Indies, with fellow first-choice stars Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green joining their captain in skipping the T20Is in India.
Selection chair George Bailey is pleased with the mix of experience and youth in the squad chosen to play India and believes they will equip themselves well over the course of the five matches.
“It’s an experienced squad with a mixture of players who have had their first opportunity on the international stage and that we hope will continue to develop into important players in our T20 group," Bailey said.
“Matthew (Wade) has captained the team previously, is a leader in the group and we look forward to him taking the reins for this series. Like Mitch Marsh in the South Africa series, this is another great opportunity to further deepen our international leadership experience and depth.
“It’s always a great challenge to take on India on their home soil. Most of the squad have extensive experience in playing in India, including eight members of the current ODI World Cup squad, alongside Tanveer Sangha who is currently a travelling reserve.”
Australia T20I squad: Matthew Wade (c), Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Schedule:
First T20I - November 23: Visakhapatnam
Second T20I - November 26: Thiruvananthapuram
Third T20I - November 28: Guwahati
Fourth T20I - December 1: Nagpur
Fifth T20I - December 3: Hyderabad