Royal Challengers Bangalore's head coach Simon Katich and Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson backed Virat Kohli to stay as the captain despite yet another IPL heartbreak and the criticism around it.
Smith's (28) ODI haul of 568 runs at 63.11 from 10 innings were enough to pip Finch (23) who scored 673 runs at 56.08 from 13 innings.
Stoinis put in an all-round performance as his contributions with the bat hurt India in the middle overs.
The hard-hitting 27-year-old becomes the fifth Australia player to leave the Indian Twenty20 tournament early following the departures of captain Steve Smith, John Hastings and Mitchell and Shaun Marsh
Gujarat Lions defeated Rising Pune Supergiant by seven wickets to register their first win in the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League
The Suresh Raina-led side suffered consecutive defeats against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders and title holder Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening two matches.
India captain Virat Kohli consolidated his position at the top of the table, while openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan moved up in the latest ICC T20I Player Rankings.
India were in with a very good chance of levelling the series in Melbourne on Friday after reducing Australia to 132 for 7 in 19 overs but rain put paid to their hopes.
Gujarat Lions would look to better their debut season's success and aim for a winning start against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match, in Rajkot on Friday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji reveal the Most Valuable Players of the India-Australia ODI series.
'India have been in great form in all formats over a long time now. But it is going to be a great opportunity for us to come out, play aggressively and express ourselves. We can take the game on and really try to take it to India'
While Agar is some way short of all-rounder status, Finch said the 26-year-old was working hard to get there.
Gujarat Lions, who enjoyed three consecutive victories in the tournament before the match, could post only 135 runs, losing eight wickets, after being invited to bat first by the opposition, who chased down the target without losing any wicket.
The Virat Kohli-led RCB has won five of its eight games on the back of all-round performances but seemingly blundered in the eight-wicket defeat to laggards KXIP on Thursday.
The tremors of an earthquake in Afghanistan has forced new Indian Premier League team Gujarat Lions to evacuate their hotel on the eve of their first match in the competition. The National Centre for Seismology in India has reported the epicentre of the earthquake to be in the Hindukush mountain range on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The quake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale. The aftershocks were throughout northern India, including Chandigarh were the Lions are set to face home side Kings XI Punjab at the PCA Stadium on Monday. Moments after the earthquake hit, the Gujarat players and support staff were whisked out of the building by team management and to a safe area outside. "I was sitting on the end of my bed fixing a cricket bat and it felt like the bed started to move," the Lions' Australian paceman Andrew Tye told cricket.com.au outside the hotel.
Suresh Raina's return could not have been better-timed as Gujarat Lions, jolted by the tournament's biggest ever defeat, seek to revive their campaign when they face off with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Images from the T20 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia, in Dubai, on Sunday.
Though Smith is absolutely free to make a return to the national team for next year's World Cup and Ashes series in England, he can only fill back the leadership role in March 2020.
'We love competing and winning against a very good Indian side. It's always nice to do that, especially on their turf'
After 45 games in the ICC men's cricket World Cup the group stage is complete, and the final four now know who will play who in the semi-finals. Australia, India, England and New Zealand knew prior to Saturday's final group matches that they would be in the top four and that all that was to be decided was the end of group standings.
Australian wicket-keeper-batsman Matthew Wade has been ruled of the ongoing Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand.
The new playing condition rules laid down by the International Cricket Council left Indian and Australian cricketers confused after it was applied in the rain-hit first Twenty20 International in Ranchi on Saturday.
Kedar Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck unbeaten fifties to help India pull off a tricky chase and beat Australia by six wickets in the first One-day international on Saturday.
Maxwell became Australia's first player to score three T20 centuries on Wednesday with an unbeaten 55-ball knock of 113 in the seven-wicket win over Virat Kohli's team in Bengaluru.
Langer's side secured their spot in the last four with a 64-run win over hosts England at Lord's on Tuesday and return to the famous north London ground on Saturday to face neighbours New Zealand in their penultimate round-robin tie.
In-form Indian opener Rohit Sharma broke back into the top-five at fifth, while skipper Virat Kohli held on to the numero uno position in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI rankings, issued on Monday.
The left-handed batsman shared an opening stand of 123 with his captain Aaron Finch as the defending champions beat hosts and pre-tournament favourites England at Lord's on Tuesday to book a place in the semi-finals.
India's Under-19 star Rishabh Pant struck a brilliant half-century to power Delhi Daredevils to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Lions at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, on Tuesday.
For Kohli, who led India to their first Test series victory in Australia but skipped the second half of the New Zealand tour, the series will be the last chance to identify the batsman to fill a middle order spot in an otherwise settled side.
West Indies have failed to understand English conditions and paid the price for their one-dimensional tactics of trying to bounce out opposition
They endured a disastrous run the last time around to finish at the bottom of the heap and Kings XI Punjab would be aiming to make amends this season when they begin their campaign against newbies Gujarat Lions in their IPL opener in Mohali on Monday. Kings XI Punjab did not make any big buys this year and have a new captain in South African David Miller in place of Australian George Bailey who was released after leading the side to the last place in the previous season. Virender Sehwag has also retired and he will serve as team mentor this season. The Preity Zinta-owned side continues to lack the team balance as it has not added any significant player, only snapping the likes of all-rounders Farhaan Behardien and Marcus Stoinis, seamer Mohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh. Last season, their batsmen lacked consistency and whenever they did well, the bowlers let the side down. On the other hand, debutants Gujarat Lions have a balanced side with top-class performers in both batting and bowling. They have explosive batsmen in Brendon McCullum, captain Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch and a plenty of top-notch all-rounders in Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja and James Faulkner.
If the weather holds up, expect a run feast in the 2nd ODI at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. But should the Aussies retain the same team or bring Ashton Agar on for Adam Zampa and bench misfiring opener Cartwright?
The visitors will have to play out of their skins to arrest the slide and level the series ahead of the last T20I in Hyderabad on October 13.
A scrappy India will have to lift their game by several notches against an improving Australia when the two fierce rivals clash in a virtual quarter-final cricket match of the ICC World Twenty20, in Mohali, on Sunday.
There have been close to 10 occasions during the ongoing World Cup when the ball has hit the stumps but bails haven't come off.
Here's a list of few top draws who went unsold in the first round of auction ahead of the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League.
Ahead of the high-octane clash, here are some key players to look out for:
New Zealand will have their tails up and eye another upset when they resume the trans-Tasman rivalry with a strong Australian side.
There will be no let-up in intensity as a ruthless India look to inch closer to yet another series whitewash when they take on a beleaguered Australia in the fourth One-day International in Bengalurg, on Thursday.
India sealed a semi-final berth in the World Twenty20 after defeating Australia by six wickets in a do-or-die Group 2 match in Mohali.
