India’s Test captain Shubman Gill did not walk out for the coin toss on August 7 in Colombo for the three-day practice game. Gill suffered an impact injury in his right finger while training on the eve of the practice game. He has been rested for Day 1 of the warm-up game as a precautionary measure.
Currently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is monitoring his progress.
In Gill's absence, KL Rahul is leading Team India against Sonal Dinusha-led Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) XI. Dinusha won the toss and opted to bat first.
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On August 6, Gill took a blow on his right thumb while batting in the nets. After strapping his thumb, he returned to bat but got injured during slip catching practice as well. He needed medical attention during the practice session.
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Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan is yet to join the India squad in Sri Lanka. The injury concerns continue to pile up. India are already missing two key players on the tour. Experienced pacer Jasprit Bumrah and spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar have been ruled out of the series. Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi received their maiden call-ups. The three-day practice game will be crucial for them to prove their mettle and make a case for the first Test of the series which begins in Galle on August 15.
Sri Lanka Cricket XI for practice match vs India
Nishan Madushka, Ravindu Rashantha, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Pavan Rathnayake, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Sonal Dinusha (captain), Anjala Bandara (wicketkeeper), Nipun Dananjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asanka Manoj, Isitha Wijesundara, Ramesh Mendis, Kesara Nuwantha, Dilum Sudeera.
India’s Test squad for Sri Lanka tour
Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.