In a series of big updates, it has been reported that star India batter Sai Sudharsan was absent from the squad that arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, August 4 for the upcoming two-match Test series. The rest of the team, including the support staff, reached Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series, but the left-handed batter did not travel with the side.
Why did Sudharsan not travel with Team India?
The Tamil Nadu opener has yet to link up with the Indian team as he is continuing his rehabilitation from a toe injury endured during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. As per the latest reports, Sudharsan is undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) and is waiting for BCCI's green signal to travel.
Before the opening Test match, India will face a Sri Lanka XI in a three-day warm-up game starting on August 7. The first Test is set to be played at Galle from August 15 to 19, while Colombo will host the second match from August 23 to 27.
The team management prefers Sudharsan as their No.3 batter, but his place has always been surrounded with questions as he has failed to create significant impact at the position. However, he will look to gain some confidence with his recent knock of 81 against Afghanistan in the one-off Test match. However, Devdutt Padikkal is likely to take his place if Sudharsan fails to recover on time.
India's squad for Sri Lanka Test series:
Shubman Gill (C), KL Rahul (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Auqib Nabi and Saransh Jain