Photo by CRICKETNEXT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
India’s Test captain Shubman Gill was ruled out of the opening day of a three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo.
Gill suffered an impact injury to his right ring finger in practice on Thursday, prompting vice-captain KL Rahul to lead the side on Friday.
Sri Lanka XI chose to bat first after winning the toss and reached 138 for 1 at lunch, with openers Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha putting on a strong opening stand.
India’s line-up for the match included Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, captain KL Rahul, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.
The warm-up game is intended to help India adjust to sub-continental conditions before the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starts on August 15, 2026.
Gill’s fitness will be reviewed in the coming days to determine whether he is available for the rest of the practice match and the first Test.
Gill, who was named India’s Test captain for the tour, is expected to be assessed over the coming days to determine his availability for the remainder of the three-day practice match and the Test series opener.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir is overseeing the young Indian squad’s preparations, with the tour marking an early assignment for several newer faces in the Test set-up.
Sri Lanka XI’s openers Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha made full use of a lack of early movement for India’s pace bowlers on a surface offering little assistance in the opening session.
The two-match Test series against Sri Lanka will be India’s first assignment on the tour, following which the squad’s schedule for the remainder of the year is expected to be finalised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
India’s playing XI for the warm-up fixture featured Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul as captain, Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper, and Ravindra Jadeja among others.
Photo by CRICKETNEXT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
