Kolkata: Indian Men’s Test squad has arrived in Sri Lanka ahead of the two match Test Series starting from 15th August, 2026. This series will be vital for India in context of World Test Championship 2027.
The team landed at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo at 3:50pm local time The opening Test will be held at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from August 15 to 19 with officials from Sri Lanka Cricket on hand to welcome the visitors, before before the series moves to Colombo for the second Test at the SSC Ground from August 23 to 27.
As part of their preparations, India will play a three-day warm-up match at the NCC Grounds in Colombo from August 7, instead of the four-day fixture that had originally been planned.
The contest is expected to play a key role in the early stages of the World Test Championship cycle, with both sides aiming to improve their standing. India are currently fifth in the ICC Test rankings, while Sri Lanka sit sixth.
India’s practice match at the NCC Grounds from August 7 to 10 will provide the visitors with valuable match preparation before the Test series gets underway.
India were dealt a major setback before the tour after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out with a left knee injury that has not healed completely. The BCCI named Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi as his replacement, handing the 29-year-old his maiden senior India call-up.
Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan’s availability remains subject to fitness clearance as the left-handed batter continues to recover from a foot injury sustained during the India A tour of Sri Lanka.
India squad: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan (subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi.
