In a significant change ahead of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, Sarfaraz Khan has been called up to the Indian team to replace the injured Sai Sudharsan.
Sai Sudharsan, a left-handed batsman, has been ruled out of the series due to a stress reaction in his right toe. He has been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. While the BCCI has confirmed that Sudharsan’s recovery is progressing well, he is not yet fit to play.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated in an official announcement, “Sai Sudharsan has been withdrawn from the Test series against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batsman, who was at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, has made significant progress in recovering from the stress reaction in his right toe. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his recovery.”
Sarfaraz Khan, a right-handed batsman, will join Team India in Colombo ahead of the first Test, which begins on August 15. He has scored 371 runs in six Test matches, averaging 37.1, including a remarkable 150-run innings against New Zealand.
Although Sarfaraz was part of the Indian squad for the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, he did not get a chance to play in any of the five matches. He was also part of the India A team during the England tour but was not included in the main Test squad for the five-match series in June-July 2025.
The first Test match between India and Sri Lanka will take place at the Galle International Stadium starting August 15, followed by the second match from August 23 to 27 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Currently, India is positioned fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. To enhance their chances of reaching the finals, they need a strong performance against Sri Lanka, who are in sixth place.
India’s updated squad includes: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Barar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Aaqib Nabi, and Sarfaraz Khan.