Sarfaraz Khan added to India Test squad for Sri Lanka tour; No.6 contention ahead of Aug 15 start

Sarfaraz Khan has been drafted into India’s Test squad for the two-match series in Sri Lanka, which begins with the first Test at Galle International Stadium on August 15 and continues at SSC Cricket Ground, Colombo from August 23.

The tour forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle and follows the teams’ previous meeting in November 2025. India sit fifth on the WTC points table and have nine Tests remaining in the cycle. The squad has been disrupted by injuries to Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy and Sai Sudharsan, prompting additions to the group.

Auqib Nabi, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar and Sarfaraz Khan have been named as replacements in the touring party. Sai Sudharsan had featured in the Unofficial Tests last month and scored the most runs across the two matches (332) before suffering an injury that has ruled him out of the tour.

Sarfaraz earns a return to the Test setup after last appearing in India’s home series against New Zealand in 2024, when he scored 171 runs in six innings, including one 150-run score. He was also part of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 squad but did not play in that series, and was not selected for Test squads again until this Sri Lanka tour.

His recent domestic form includes 429 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 at an average of 53.6, highlighted by a 227 against Hyderabad. Sarfaraz has accumulated more than 5000 runs in First-Class cricket at an average of 64, and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 he recorded the fastest List A half-century by an Indian, reaching fifty off 20 balls.

It is highly likely that Sarfaraz could get a nod at No.6 in the batting line-up. Dhruv Jurel has held that position recently but managed only 18 runs in two innings during the three-day warm-up game; Jurel scored 208 runs in the Unofficial Tests. It is established that Sarfaraz is among the best players of spin, and the turning tracks in Sri Lanka could increase his chances of selection.

Sarfaraz Khan has been named as the replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan in India’s Test squad, and the first Test of the Sri Lanka series is scheduled to start on August 15.