India will tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series in August 2026. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced this on Thursday.
The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027 cycle.
The first Test will take place from August 15 to 19 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. The second and final Test is scheduled for August 23 to 27 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Both matches will commence at 10 AM local time.
This series is crucial for both teams as they aim to improve their standings in the WTC. Currently, under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, India ranks fifth with a points percentage (PCT) of 48.15 after nine matches. Sri Lanka follows closely in sixth place with a PCT of 44.44.
Winning this two-match series will significantly aid either team in their quest to secure a spot in the top two and reach the finals. India last played a Test series in Sri Lanka in 2017, where they achieved a clean sweep, winning 3-0 under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.
The Lanka Premier League (LPL) will kick off on July 17 and conclude on August 8, just before the Test series begins. However, SLC has not mentioned the proposed three-match T20 series between India and Sri Lanka in their schedule. This T20 series was initially proposed to raise funds for relief and reconstruction efforts following Cyclone ‘Ditwah’ that impacted the island nation.
Currently, the India-A team, led by Dhruv Jurel, is in Sri Lanka for a two-match red-ball shadow tour. The second four-day match began on Thursday after the first ended in a draw.