By India Test captain Shubman Gill missed the first day of a three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo on Friday.
Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during Thursday’s practice session, and vice-captain KL Rahul led the team in his place.
Sri Lanka XI won the toss, chose to bat first, and were 138 for 1 at lunch behind a solid opening partnership between Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha.
India’s playing XI featured Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, captain KL Rahul, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.
The match is part of India’s build-up to sub-continental conditions ahead of a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka beginning on August 15, 2026.
Gill’s finger will be assessed over the next few days to decide his availability for the remainder of the warm-up fixture and the opening 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
