Top-order batter Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of India's upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, with Sarfaraz Khan named as his replacement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Sunday.
The changes have been made as India prepare for the series opener in Galle on August 15. The second test in will be played in Colombo from August 23.
Notably, Sudharsan had suffered a right toe stress reaction. As per the BCCI, he has made significant progress in his recovery. However, he will not be ready to play the game in the island nation.
In a statement, the Indian cricket board said, "The Men's Selection Committee has named Sarfaraz Khan as a replacement for Sai Sudharsan for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka".
"He will link up with the Indian squad in Colombo before the team travels to Galle for the first Test match, starting August 15, 2026," the statement added.
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Sarfaraz last picked up for an international tour in 2024-25, when India visited Australia. However, did not play a single game back then.
The last international match he played for India was in 2024 during the three-match Test series against New Zealand at home. In six innings that he played, Sarfaraz scored 171 runs but failed to retain his place in the side after that series.
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India's updated squad
Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan