Australia suffer Cameron Green blow before Bangladesh T20Is, Nikhil Chaudhary's debut chances brighten
by Naman Jain · Inside Sport IndiaAustralia will play three T20 internationals against Bangladesh at Chattogram on JUne 17, 19 and 21.
Australia have been dealt a setback ahead of their three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, with all-rounder Cameron Green opting out of the tour. Australia barely avoided a whitewash in the ODIs, thanks to Cooper Connolly’s heroic 149. Now, Australia’s chances for the T20Is have taken a hit as Green has been asked to keep himself ready for the big Test season.
According to Code Sports reports, the 27-year-old has flown back home to manage his workload before Australia’s packed red-ball schedule, which begins with a home Test against Bangladesh on August 13. Cricket Australia has not announced a replacement for Green, with Mitchell Marsh and Aaron Hardie already available as seam-bowling all-round options in the squad. However, Marsh doesn’t bowl after his injury issues now.
Australia’s T20I squad for Bangladesh series
Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Nikhil Chaudhary, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Adam Zampa
Nikhil Chaudhary’s chances receive major boost
Green’s absence could open the door for Delhi-born all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary to make his international debut. The Hobart Hurricanes star was recently added to Australia’s T20I squad and is already creating headlines for potentially becoming the first Indian-born man to represent Australia in more than six decades.
A powerful middle-order batter who can also contribute with leg-spin, Chaudhary offers Australia an additional option on spin-friendly Bangladesh surfaces. With Green unavailable, competition for a middle-order role has reduced significantly for him. Australia will, however, receive some welcome reinforcements. Captain Mitchell Marsh will return after missing the ODI series through injury, while Travis Head is also back after being rested following IPL 2026.
Australia vs Bangladesh T20I series schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | June 17, 2026 (Wednesday) | Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram | 1:30 PM |
| 2nd T20I | June 19, 2026 (Friday) | Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram | 1:30 PM |
| 3rd T20I | June 21, 2026 (Sunday) | Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram | 1:30 PM |
Green’s withdrawal caps a difficult period for the all-rounder. While he enjoyed a reasonable IPL campaign with Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 322 runs at a strike rate of 145.70 and taking seven wickets, his recent international T20 numbers have been underwhelming. In seven T20 appearances this year, Green has managed only 117 runs at an average below 20 while picking up just two wickets.
He did show glimpses of form during the ODI series against Bangladesh, scoring 104 runs in three innings, including an unbeaten half-century. However, with Australia set to play an important stretch of 15 Test matches till the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the team management aren’t going to take any risks with one of their most valuable all-format players.