India’s preparations for the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka have been affected by a few injury concerns, with several key players racing against time to regain full fitness before the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 campaign resumes.
Shubman Gill's recurring neck problem
According to a report by The Times of India, captain Shubman Gill is continuing to deal with a recurring neck problem. The issue first forced him to miss the second Test against South Africa last year and troubled him again during IPL 2026, forcing him to sit out one match. The discomfort usually returns when he spends long periods at the crease. To manage the problem better, Gill has reportedly consulted medical specialists outside the BCCI’s regular support staff.
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Will Bumrah feature vs Sri Lanka in 1st Test?
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is also recovering well and is expected to begin bowling again later this week. He picked up a knee injury after being struck during the second ODI against England and missed the final match of the series because of swelling. The Indian team hopes he will gradually build up his workload and be available for the opening Test, which starts in Galle on August 15.
Sai on the road to recovery
Sai Sudharsan is making steady progress too. The left-handed batter suffered a hamstring injury while playing for India A against Sri Lanka A. After receiving encouraging feedback from the BCCI medical team, he is expected to restart batting practice at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru next week.
India to play four-day practice match before Sri Lanka Test series
India will play a four-day practice match in Colombo before the Test series begins. However, Bumrah and Sudharsan are unlikely to be risked in that game as the team management wants both players to be fully fit for the opening Test rather than rushing them back.
India’s squad for Tests against Sri Lanka
Shubman Gill [c], KL Rahul [vc], Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant [WK], Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel [wk], Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain.