3 players who were unlucky to miss out on India's squad for SL vs IND Test series
India announced strong squad for two-match SL vs IND Test series on July 28.
After the tours of Ireland, England, and Zimbabwe, Team India are set to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match test series. These matches will be played in Galle and Colombo on August 15 and 23, respectively.
On Tuesday, the selection committee announced India’s 15-member squad. India have some injury concerns as the availability of Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan are subject to itness.
Shubman Gill will lead the side, and KL Rahul will be his deputy. Ravindra Jadeja is back in the squad, while Saransh Jain has received his maiden cap. The likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Harsh Dubey are the missing names who were part of the last series. Nitish and Sundar are currently injured.
However, there are a few names who should have been given a chance but are not in the squad. Below, we will talk about three unlucky stars who were not picked for the SL vs IND test series.
Three unlucky stars to miss out on Test team for the SL vs IND Tests
3. Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan has been ignored once again by the Indian selectors. The middle-order batter is known for scoring tons of runs in every domestic season. He is one of few batters with an average of 60 or more in first-class cricket.
But he has been waiting for his comeback since 2024. In this period, he has worked on his white-ball game and has shown immense improvements. He has also worked hard with his fitness, which has reflected on his domestic performances.
His ability to play and score against spin makes him a perfect player for the subcontinent. But despite that, he hasn’t been given many chances under the current coaching setup.
2. Harsh Dubey
The left-arm spin all-rounder recently made his international debut for the home series against Afghanistan. He picked up four wickets in two ODIs. He was also part of the one-off test, but Manav Suthar was picked ahead of him.
Harsh also played the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A, taking three wickets and scoring 59 runs in the game. His all-round ability could have been a great asset for India in Sri Lanka. However, with Suthar retaining his place and Jadeja coming back, Harsh was sidelined from the SL vs IND test series.
1. Auqib Nabi
Born in Jammu & Kashmir, Auqib Nabi caught the eyes of everyone with a record-breaking performance in the Ranji Trophy. He finished the 2025-26 edition with the most wickets (60) and took his team to their maiden Ranji title ever.
He was rewarded with his maiden IPL contract with Delhi Capitals of INR 8.40 crore. Nabi has taken 104 wickets in the last two Ranji seasons. He also featured in two unofficial tests against Sri Lanka A, taking six wickets.
Despite all these performances, he has missed the flight to Sri Lanka. Siraj has been India’s go-to bowler, but India picked up Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna as the other pace options, which is a debatable decision.
When will the SL vs IND test series start?
The first test between Sri Lanka and India will start on August 15 in Galle.
How many tests will be played in the SL vs IND test series?
These two teams will play two test matches in Galle and Colombo, respectively.
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Karan Rawat is a seasoned cricket writer with a deep passion for the game and over 5 years of experience covering everything that the game can offer. He loves to share the analysis, match reports, and player profiles and tries to bring stories to life with a unique blend of statistics and storytelling. Whether breaking down Test match tactics or capturing the drama of a T20 thriller, Karan's work connects fans with the soul of the sport.