Will Sarfaraz Khan get an opportunity to play in SL vs IND Tests?
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Sarfaraz Khan replaced Sai Sudharsan in Indian squad for Test series against Sri Lanka.
The Indian Cricket Team is set to play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting from August 15. The first Test will be played at Galle International Stadium. Meanwhile the second Test will be in SSC Cricket Ground Colombo from August 23.
Shubman Gill and Co. will be playing a Test match under the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle after their previous encounter in November 2025. India are currently ranked fifth on the points table, and have nine Tests remaining in the cycle.
Ahead of this all-important series, India have faced injury hurdles, which led to Test regulars like Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, and now Sai Sudharsan get ruled out of this tour. In their place, Auqib Nabi, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar and Sarfaraz Khan have gotten a place in the squad.
Sai Sudharsan featured in the Unofficial Tests scheduled last month, where he scored the most runs in the two Tests (332 runs). However, he got injured and has eventually been ruled out of the tour. Sarfaraz Khan earned a comeback to the Test side.
Sarfaraz Khan likely to get opportunity in SL vs IND Tests
Sarfaraz Khan last featured in the home Test series against New Zealand in 2024, where he scored 171 runs in 6 innings, with one 150-run score. He was also a part of the squad for Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 but did not play any game. Post that, he was not picked for any Test squad, until the Sri Lanka tour 2026, replacing Sai Sudharsan.
In the meantime, Sarfaraz amassed 429 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, with an average of 53.6, including a magnificent 227-run knock against Hyderabad. He has more than 5000 runs in First-Class cricket with an average of 64. In the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 season as well, he smashed the fastest List A half-century by an Indian (off 20 balls).
His recent form has paid him well, by earning him a comeback to the Indian Test side as an injury replacement to Sai Sudharsan. It is highly likely that Sarfaraz could get a nod at No.6 in the batting line-up.
Dhruv Jurel has been India’s No.6 batter lately, however, he failed to score runs in the 3-day warm-up game. He made only 18 runs in the two innings. Moreover, it is established that Sarfaraz is among the best players of spin. With the turning tracks at Sri Lanka, the latter could get a chance in the team.
India could need an explosive batsman with different gears to his batting and the knack of playing the sweep in Sri Lanka. While Jurel scored 208 runs in the Unofficial Tests, the recent blistering form could reward Sarfaraz with a game after almost two years.
When will the 1st SL vs IND Test begin?
The first SL vs IND Test match is set to start from August 15.
Who replaced Sai Sudharsan in the Indian Test squad?
Sarfaraz Khan replaced injured Sai Sudharsan in the Indian Test squad.
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.