Gill misses India warm-up opener as Sri Lanka XI post 138/1

India Test captain Shubman Gill sat out the first day of a three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo on Friday.

Gill picked up an impact injury to his right ring finger during Thursday’s practice session, with vice-captain KL Rahul taking over captaincy duties for the match.

Sri Lanka XI opted to bat first after winning the toss and were 138 for 1 at lunch, driven by a steady opening stand between Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha.

India fielded a side featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, captain KL Rahul, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.

The fixture is part of India’s acclimatisation to sub-continental conditions before the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka begins on August 15, 2026.

Gill’s finger injury will be monitored over the next few days to gauge his readiness for the remainder of the warm-up game and the series opener.

The warm-up match is being used by India’s squad to acclimatise to sub-continental conditions ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins on August 15, 2026.

Gill, who was named India’s Test captain for the tour, is expected to be assessed over the coming days to determine his availability for the remainder of the three-day practice match and the Test series opener.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir is overseeing the young Indian squad’s preparations, with the tour marking an early assignment for several newer faces in the Test set-up.

Sri Lanka XI’s openers Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha made full use of a lack of early movement for India’s pace bowlers on a surface offering little assistance in the opening session.

The two-match Test series against Sri Lanka will be India’s first assignment on the tour, following which the squad’s schedule for the remainder of the year is expected to be finalised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Photo by CRICKETNEXT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0