Sarfaraz Likely To Replace Injured Sai Sudharsan in SL Test Series: Report

New Delhi: India batter Sarfaraz Khan is likely to replace injured Sai Sudharsan in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, according to BCCI sources.

Sudharsan is understood to have sustained an injury, which could rule him out of the forthcoming series.

According to the source, Sarfaraz is likely to be brought into the squad as his replacement. The final decision on the squad is expected to be taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"Sarfaraz Khan is likely to replace injured Sai Sudharsan in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka," a BCCI source told ANI.

Sudharsan has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru and has also participated in batting and fielding drills. However, the batter was unlikely to regain full fitness in time for the opening Test against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15.

Sudharsan also did not take the flight when the Indian team departed for Sri Lanka and thus missed the ongoing three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo, which began on Friday (August 8).

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Shubman Gill also sustained an injury to his right ring finger during a practice session ahead of the first Sri Lanka Test.

BCCI posted on X, "Update: Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India's practice on Thursday. As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress. KL Rahul will lead the team in Gill's absence."

On the other hand, seamer Jasprit Bumrah was also ruled out of the series as he has not fully recovered from the left knee injury he sustained during the ODI series against England.

The Men's Selection Committee has included Aquib Nabi in the squad as Bumrah's replacement. India are also grappling with multiple injury concerns ahead of the series, with Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy sidelined due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively.

Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the opening Test with a hamstring issue, while Akash Deep remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from stress reactions in his back. The series will form part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Led by Shubman Gill, India are currently fifth in the World Test Championship standings, having registered four wins and four losses in nine matches, with a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150.