India vs Australia | Steve Smith out of T20I series with a shoulder problem

Smith had injured his right shoulder when he landed awkwardly on it in the fifth ODI against India in Nagpur. While it restricted his movements which, in turn, impacted his batting and throwing, the Aussies are confident that there are no major concerns about Smith's availability for the Ashes.

"Smith landed awkwardly on his right shoulder whilst diving in the field during the fifth ODI against India last Sunday. Following the match he complained of shoulder soreness, which has not settled and is restricting his ability to bat and throw," Richard Saw said, reported Cricbuzz.

"Subsequently he has had an MRI scan which has excluded serious injury, but we believe the best course of action is for him to not continue to aggravate his shoulder and allow it to recover. He will have further investigation upon his return to Australia but we remain confident he will be available for the start of the Sheffield Shield season."

The Aussies faced a lot of backlash from all quarters for their subpar performance against India in the recently concluded ODI series against India where they managed to win only one game. Smith failed to recreate his form from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, earlier in the year, and scored a mere 142 runs in five matches.

David Warner is expected to lead the team in Smith's absence. While Marcus Stoinis is likely to replace Smith in the playing XI for the series opener, Glenn Maxwell could get a chance to play higher up the order.