Australia's troubled buildup to the World T20 has hit another major stumbling block with captain Aaron Finch no certainty to lead the team to the tournament.

Already ruled out of the Chappell-Hadlee series, Finch is now in a race against the clock to make it to India after scans confirmed he has sustained a "moderate grade" tear to his hamstring.

Cricket Australia is aiming to have Finch ready for the event but are unsure when he will be fit to return. Hamstring injuries commonly take 21 days to recover from though that is for low-end strains.

Australia's first match, against New Zealand, is not until March 18 - almost seven weeks away. It is also unclear if Finch will make it back in time for the three-game series in South Africa preceding the World T20, which begins on March 4.