India’s injury woes have deepened with Sai Sudharsan officially ruled out of the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka. The 24-year-old left-hander has been nursing a toe injury and was a notable absentee when the Indian squad travelled to Sri Lanka earlier this week. His condition also forced him to miss the ongoing warm-up game currently being contested in Colombo.
According to BCCI sources, medical professionals have advised Sudharsan to allow more time for biological healing before returning to competitive cricket. While his recovery has shown significant improvement, it has not progressed sufficiently for a safe return to the rigors of Test cricket. The team management has opted to exclude him from the squad to prevent any risk of further damage to the injury.
His absence adds to India’s growing list of injury concerns ahead of the first Test. Jasprit Bumrah is already unavailable for the tour, while Washington Sundar is also dealing with an injury, although he has not yet been officially ruled out of the second Test. Furthermore, captain Shubman Gill has missed the ongoing warm-up fixture after sustaining an impact injury to his right ring finger during a recent training session.
With Sudharsan ruled out, Devdutt Padikkal is expected to slot into the No. 3 position after strengthening his case with a dominant performance in the warm-up match. Padikkal demonstrated his form and resilience during the fixture; having retired hurt on 103, he returned later in the innings to finish unbeaten on 142. The team will now look to finalize their lineup as they navigate these significant personnel challenges ahead of the series opener.
