Sri Lanka name 16-man squad for first Test against India in Galle; Nissanka and Kusal Mendis miss opener

Sri Lanka announced a 16-player squad for the first Test against India in Galle, which begins on August 15, 2026, with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis ruled out of the opening match.

Niroshan Dickwella has been recalled to the Test side after a three-year absence and is set to take over wicketkeeping duties from Kusal Mendis, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury; Nissanka misses the Galle Test as he continues his recovery. The squad is captained by Dhananjaya De Silva, with Kamindu Mendis named vice-captain, and combines established players with less experienced options.

Sri Lanka named the following 16 players: Dhananjaya De Silva (Captain), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis (Vice Captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (Wicket Keeper), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

The batting group will be without Nissanka and Kusal Mendis for the Galle Test, with Lahiru Udara the leading run-scorer from Sri Lanka's recent 1-0 Test series defeat in the West Indies and Nishan Madushka having scored twin fifties against India in a recent practice game. Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Sonal Dinusha are additional options in the middle order.

Spin is expected to play a central role on the Galle surface, with Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis named as the frontline spin choices; Prabath has taken 81 wickets in 11 matches in Galle. Jayasuriya is described in the squad announcement as a left-arm orthodox spinner, while Ramesh Mendis provides a right-arm off-spin option.

Sri Lanka retain a range of supplementary spin and seam choices: captain Dhananjaya De Silva can bowl right-arm off-break, Kamindu Mendis can bowl both right-arm off-break and slow left-arm orthodox, Sonal Dinusha bowls slow left-arm orthodox, and uncapped off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha has earned his maiden Test call-up after bowling more than 30 overs and taking three wickets for Sri Lanka XI in the warm-up match. The pace options in the squad are Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka.

India’s squad news included injury absences: Jasprit Bumrah will miss the series along with Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan; Sarfaraz Khan was called in as a replacement for Sudharsan while Auqib Nabi replaced Bumrah. The first Test in Galle from August 15 starts a two-Test series between Sri Lanka and India.