Kotak declines to speculate on Kuldeep Yadav’s absence from Colombo Test

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak declined to speculate on whether Kuldeep Yadav would have been selected for the second Test in Colombo on 23 August 2026 after the left-arm wrist-spinner was absent from India’s side for the match.

Kuldeep missed the Test after failing to recover from a viral illness; India captain Shubman Gill told reporters at the toss that the bowler had an infection and the BCCI confirmed he was unavailable for selection while adding he could still be used as a concussion substitute. Kotak, speaking after the second day’s play, dismissed questions about a hypothetical selection scenario. “I don’t think this is a relevant question. When he wasn’t well, there is no point thinking and talking about this,” Kotak said.

Kuldeep’s return to the series had been modest: in the first Test at Galle he bowled a total of 25 overs across the match and took a solitary wicket.

India’s other spin options carried a much heavier burden in Galle, with Manav Suthar finishing the match with 10 wickets and Ravindra Jadeja contributing significantly with the ball as India dismissed Sri Lanka for 284 and 206 to secure a 165-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the series.

Kuldeep did provide a lower-order batting contribution in Galle, remaining unbeaten on 13 from 14 deliveries as India were dismissed for 462 in their first innings; Devdutt Padikkal scored 167 and Rishabh Pant made 39 in that innings.

In Colombo, India won the toss and opted to bat, finishing Day 1 at 300 for five with Padikkal on 117 for his second successive Test century. Saransh Jain replaced Kuldeep in the XI and made his Test debut, while India retained Suthar and Jadeja to lead their spin attack.

With India already in a commanding position, the visitors will look to add more runs before putting Sri Lanka under pressure.