India batter Sarfaraz Khan is set to replace injured colleague Sai Sudharsan in the squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, according to sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Sai Sudharsan has been nursing an injury and is set to miss the upcoming fixtures, as the BCCI is likely to make a final decision on his replacement.
Meanwhile, Sudharsan has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru while continuing his batting and fielding practice. However, the left-hander is unlikely to recover in time for the first Test between the rival nations that begins on August 15 in Galle.
Sarfaraz Khan Announced As Replacement
Sai Sudharsan did not go to Sri Lanka with the Indian team, and he has now missed the three-day warm-up match against the Sri Lanka Cricket XI that has started in Colombo today, Aug 8. Sudharsan’s participation in the series is uncertain, which makes Sarfaraz Khan the favourite to take the backup spot in the squad.
“Sarfaraz Khan is set to replace the injured Sai Sudharsan for the Test series against Sri Lanka,” a BCCI source told ANI.
In addition to Sudharsan, the BCCI has suffered a setback with captain Shubman Gill. The southpaw suffered a ring finger injury to his right hand during the warm-up training before the first Test. As a result, he will not take the field during the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI on Day 1 due to the injury, according to the BCCI. KL Rahul will lead India in the captain’s absence.
The BCCI will review Gill’s condition, and they will assess his availability for the upcoming Test series in the next few days. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of contention due to a left knee injury. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi as his replacement, making him the first-ever pacer from Jammu and Kashmir to be considered for the national setup.
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India has several other fitness concerns for the series, including Harshit Rana, who has suffered a hamstring injury, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has sustained a quad injury. The BCCI has ruled out Washington Sundar from the first Test due to a hamstring concern. Akash Deep is also unavailable for the first Test as he is currently recovering from stress reactions in his back.
The two-Test series against Sri Lanka is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, and India, captained by Shubman Gill, currently lies at the fifth position in the WTC points table. The men’s team has equal wins and losses in nine matches with 48.15 per cent points.