Shubman Gill Faces Injury Ahead of Sri Lanka Test Series

Injury Update on Indian Captain Shubman Gill

Colombo, August 7: Indian cricket team captain Shubman Gill has suffered an injury to his right ring finger during a practice session in preparation for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins on August 15.

This injury poses a significant challenge for India as they gear up for the Test matches, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team is closely monitoring his condition. Consequently, Gill will not participate in Day 1 of the warm-up match against SLC XI, with KL Rahul stepping in as captain.

The BCCI provided an update on social media, stating, "Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India’s practice on Thursday. As a precaution, he will not play on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI. The BCCI Medical Team is overseeing his recovery. KL Rahul will lead the team in Gill's absence."

In this three-day warm-up match, SLC XI won the toss and chose to bat first against India.

The Test series will kick off at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from August 15 to 19, followed by the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23 to 27.

Additionally, India's star bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the series due to an incomplete recovery from a left knee injury sustained during the ODI series against England.

Aquib Nabi has been named as Bumrah's replacement in the squad.

India is also facing several injury issues, with Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy out due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively.

Washington Sundar will miss the opening Test due to a hamstring problem, while Akash Deep is unavailable as he continues to recover from stress reactions in his back.

This series is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Currently, India sits fifth in the standings, having achieved four victories and suffered four losses in nine matches, resulting in a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150.

The squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka includes: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), 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, and Aquib Nabi.

*Subject to fitness clearance.