Sarfaraz Khan marked his return to the Indian Test squad by sharing a picture of himself in the team’s training kit alongside his father and former club cricketer and coach Naushad Khan on Instagram, after being recalled as a replacement for injured Sai Sudharsan for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Key Factors
The BCCI stated on Sunday that the left-handed batsman had made some progress with his recovery but would still not be fit for the two-Test series. Sarfaraz might still have to wait until his turn to play in the playing eleven, since Devdutt Padikkal had a good performance in India’s warm-up game, which took place on Sunday, and that performance could affect the team managers’ choice regarding the batting order for the first Test. Sarfaraz Khan has joined Indian squad in Sri Lanka and took part in the practice session on Monday.
View this post on Instagram The BCCI stated that Sai Sudharsan will not be taking part in the Test series against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batter, who has been at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru, has made considerable progress in his recovery from the right toe stress reaction and is recovering nicely. The BCCI Medical Team are keeping a close eye on his progress. “Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka. “The Men’s Selection Committee has named Sarfaraz Khan as a replacement for Sai Sudharsan for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. His return comes after a strong domestic run and ends a nearly two-year wait for another opportunity at the highest level. Whether he features in the India playing XI in the first Test will depend on form, conditions, and the balance of the side (options include Devdutt Padikkal and others).
Sarfaraz is returning following Sai Sudharsan’s exclusion from the Sri Lanka series due to a stress reaction in his right toe. The last time Sarfaraz was selected for India’s squad was at the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, a series which India lost 4-1. As a right-handed batsman, he has scored heavily in domestic cricket, with an average of 64.73 from 62 first-class matches, but has played only six Tests for India. His most recent match in the format was in November 2024. The fact that he was left out of the India A team for the series against South Africa A caused a stir, especially since the senior side then lost the two-match Test series 2-0. He will link up with the Indian squad in Colombo before the team travels to Galle for the first Test match, starting August 15, 2026,” it added. As India prepare for their two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August 2026, middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan finds himself back in the spotlight after being called up to the squad as a replacement for injured top-order batter Sai Sudharsan. The two-match Test series begins on August 15, 2026, at Galle International Stadium, with the second Test scheduled from August 23 at the SSC in Colombo. These matches form part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle. Notably, Sarfaraz last played a Test match for India in November 2024. Known for his exceptional play against spin and prolific run-scoring in domestic cricket, the 28-year-old Mumbai middle-order batter presents a formidable middle-order option to India for the island condition tests.
The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring his progress,” the BCCI said in a statement.
He has been left out of the Test team since then, even though he has a very good first-class record.
