&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "IND vs SL 2026: Sarfaraz Khan front-runner to replace injured Sai Sudharsan – Report")
One man’s loss is another man’s gain. Sai Sudharsan’s niggle injury forced him out of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting next week, which also opened doors for domestic giant Sarfaraz Khan to make his anticipated comeback to the Test team. Having last featured for India during the New Zealand Test at the Wankhede in 2024, Sarfaraz is in line to replace Sudharsan in the Test squad. Shaik Rasheed is another name that is emerging as Sai’s potential replacement for the away tour.
Sudharsan was undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for a foot injury, with the team management being optimistic about his availability for the series opener. That, however, couldn’t happen, as Sudharsan failed to recover in time for the first Test starting August 15 in Galle.
A Times of India (TOI) report suggests either Rasheed or Sarfaraz will be drafted in as his replacement. While Sarfaraz is already training at the CoE, Rasheed has also been asked to report to the Bengaluru facility on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Rasheed was part of the India A tour of Sri Lanka last month, scoring 45, 63 and 20 in three outings. The youngster has been on the selectors’ radar for a while and was also scheduled to be part of a specialist batter camp at the CoE in the coming weeks.
Lack of Batters worries Management
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With Test captain Shubman Gill also recovering from an injury and Sai Sudharsan out for the first Test with an injury, the Indian team management is seemingly worried about the lack of specialised batters in the camp for the Test series. They have also reportedly conveyed their concerns to the selection committee.
Sarfaraz, who recently posted a cryptic message on his social handle Instagram amid his selection snubs, has also been advised to bat higher up the order in the domestic circuit as he remains part of the selectors’ plans.
On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad also remains in the fray for a shock Test call-up.
