Shubman Gill suffers right ring finger injury, misses Day 1 of warm-up ahead of Sri Lanka Tests
Indian Test captain Shubman Gill sustained an injury to his right ring finger while practising in Colombo and sat out Day 1 of India's warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI ahead of the two-match Test series that begins on August 15 at Galle International Stadium.
India are preparing for a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka, their first full Test series in the country since 2017; the series opener is scheduled for August 15 in Galle. India have not lost a Test to Sri Lanka since 2008, winning five of the last six series while one was drawn in 2010. The Men in Blue arrive in Sri Lanka after a home Test series defeat to South Africa and have slipped to fifth place in the World Test Championship 2025-27 points table; the BCCI noted a series win in Sri Lanka could improve their statistics.
A three-day warm-up game against Sri Lanka XI is underway in Colombo at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground, where Sri Lanka XI won the toss and elected to bat first. With Gill unavailable, KL Rahul is leading the Indian side in the match. Gill was absent from the field on Day 1 for precautionary reasons, the BCCI confirmed.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India issued a statement on the injury, saying: "Gill picked up an injury to his right ring finger while practising on Thursday." The BCCI added: "As a result, Gill is not available on the field for precautionary reasons." The statement concluded: "The BCCI medical team is observing the Indian captain."
The injury is a concern for India given Gill's role in the side: the article states he has been India’s leading scorer across formats since 2025. India are already without pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah due to injury; the squad has added Auqib Nabi as Bumrah's replacement. The two Tests on the tour will be played in Galle and Colombo, respectively.
The first Test of the two-match series will start on August 15 at Galle International Stadium, with the second Test scheduled to be held in Colombo.