Middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan has been named as a replacement player for B Sai Sudharsan for India’s two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Sai Sudharsan, who has been ruled out with a right toe stress reaction, has been at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and, according to a BCCI statement, has made significant progress in his recovery.
Sarfaraz Khan last played a Test match in 2024, the year he also made his debut. He has so far played six Tests and has managed to score 371 runs, which includes one century and three fifties. Although he was part of India’s squad for the 2024-25 tour of Australia, he did not get a game and was subsequently left out of the squad for the England tour last year.
Sarfaraz Khan’s stellar showings in domestic cricket
Sarfaraz Khan was the third-highest run-getter for Mumbai in the 2025 Ranji Trophy season, scoring 429 runs in seven games at an average of 53.62. His first-class average of 64.73 is among the highest for players to have played at least 50 innings.
A spate of injuries hit the Indian cricket team
India have been hit by injuries ahead of the Sri Lanka tour, with several key players including Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar ruled out. Captain Shubman Gill did not bat in India’s first innings in the tour game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI (SLC XI). Still, India’s spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said the decision was precautionary; Gill returned to bat in the second innings and contributed 44 off 54 balls, which helped the visitors seal the chase on the final day.
Sairaj Bahutule provides an update on Shubman Gill
Speaking at the end of the tour game to the reporters, Sairaj Bahutule said, “It was just a precaution more than anything else. Gill has been absolutely fine, and he’s been training, and the management decided we could just take the precaution of not putting him in on the first day. The way he batted in the second innings was flawless, and he’s very much ready for the Test match.”
The two-match Test series will start on August 15th in Galle, with the second Test scheduled from August 23rd at the SSC in Colombo. This series will be part of the WTC, in which India is currently sitting in fifth spot after four wins and four losses from nine games, which also includes a draw.
India’s Updated Test Squad for the Sri Lanka Series
Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul, 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.
Will Sarfaraz Khan slot back into the XI straightaway?
The question that arises now is whether Sarfaraz Khan gets slotted back into the XI. The answer will be no at this stage, as Devdutt Padikkal got a big ton in the warm-up game and he is ahead in the pecking order. So, Sarfaraz will first link with the team and practise before getting a slot in the Playing XI. India has good batting options, and breaking into the side won’t be as straightforward as we feel. So, Sarfaraz is likely to warm the bench and must be ready if given the chance.
But the fact that he has come back into the side shows domestic cricket is being rewarded now by the BCCI and their selectors. Lately, it was not the case, but things are improving for the better. One hopes Sarfaraz does well in Tests when the Test series against Sri Lanka starts on 15th August. It is just a 2-match series, and so, the first match becomes vital for both the teams.
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