India’s Test captain Shubman Gill was sidelined for the opening day of a three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo.
Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during Thursday’s practice, and vice-captain KL Rahul captained the side in his absence.
Sri Lanka XI won the toss, opted to bat first, and reached 138 for 1 at lunch on the back of a solid opening partnership between Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha.
India’s playing XI included Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, captain KL Rahul, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.
The warm-up match is part of India’s preparation for sub-continental conditions ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins on August 15, 2026.
Gill’s finger injury will be monitored in the coming days to determine his availability for the rest of the practice match and the first Test.
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.
The warm-up match is being used by India’s squad to acclimatise to sub-continental conditions ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins on August 15, 2026.
Photo by CRICKETNEXT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
