Sarfaraz Khan Returns to India Test Squad, Replaces Injured Sai Sudharsan for Sri Lanka Tour

Sarfaraz Khan is back in India’s Test squad, with the Mumbai batter replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka.

The recall ends Sarfaraz’s wait for another opportunity at the international level. The 28-year-old last played a Test for India against New Zealand in November 2024, scoring a century in Bengaluru. He was subsequently left out of the selectors’ plans, despite maintaining an impressive record in domestic cricket.

Sarfaraz has played 62 first-class matches and averages 64.73, underlining his credentials as one of India’s most consistent performers in the format. He made his Test debut against England in February 2024 and scored half-centuries in both innings of his first match.

In six Tests for India, Sarfaraz has accumulated 371 runs at an average of 37.10, with three fifties. His return to the squad also follows a significant focus on fitness, with the batter making notable improvements to his conditioning during the year.

The BCCI confirmed that Sarfaraz will join the Indian squad in Colombo before the team heads to Galle for the first Test, beginning August 15, 2026.

Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of the series after suffering a right-toe stress reaction during India A’s tour of Sri Lanka.

The left-handed batter had emerged as India’s preferred No. 3 in recent Tests and was in excellent form, scoring centuries in both unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A. However, he was struck on the toe during the second game and has since been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Although Sudharsan has made good progress, the BCCI medical team has not cleared him to return for the Sri Lanka Tests.

Sarfaraz’s inclusion comes as India continue to manage a growing list of injuries. Jasprit Bumrah has already been ruled out, while Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are unavailable because of hamstring and quadriceps injuries.

Washington Sundar will miss the opening Test with a hamstring issue, while Akash Deep remains sidelined during his recovery from stress reactions in his back.

The injuries have forced the selectors to make several changes ahead of a series that forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan.