Why is Shubman Gill not playing for India in the warm-up match vs SLC XI?

Team India's Test captain Shubman Gill has decided not to take the field on Day 1 of the three-day warm-up against SLC XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo due to injury. Vice-captain KL Rahul is leading the team in Gill's absence.

Notably, Gill "sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India's practice on Thursday", and therefore the team management has decided not to risk him unnecessarily.

"Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India's practice on Thursday. As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress. KL Rahul will lead the team in Gill's absence," the BCCI said in a statement.

However, there is no clarity on whether Gill will take any further part in the only warm-up fixture that India have before the first Test gets underway at the Galle International Stadium on August 15. India are already sweating over the fitness of their No. 3 batter, B Sai Sudharsan.

Sudharsan picked up a toe injury during India A's tour of Sri Lanka and was undergoing rehab at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE). He has not travelled with the rest of the squad to Sri Lanka but is expected to land in the Island nation before the start of the series opener.

The tourists have already been dealt a major blow as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is out with a knee injury. Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi has been drafted into the side as his replacement.

India squad for Tests against Sri Lanka:

Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan (fitness pending), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi

India's tour of Sri Lanka 2026