B. Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of India’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka after the medical staff at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) advised that the left-handed batter needs more time to recover from his injury.
Sudharsan, who was named in India’s Test squad subject to fitness, had remained at the CoE in Bengaluru while the rest of the squad travelled to Sri Lanka earlier this week. He had been undergoing rehabilitation for a toe injury and had resumed batting at the nets as part of his recovery.
However, with the first Test scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15, the medical team has taken the view that Sudharsan is not yet ready to return to international cricket. As reported earlier by Sportstar, the priority, it is understood, is to ensure that he regains full fitness rather than rush him back for the series.
The 24-year-old had been expected to play an important role in India’s top order after making a promising start to his Test career. His absence leaves India with another selection issue ahead of the opening Test, particularly with the team already without Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out of the series because of a knee injury.
Sudharsan’s fitness had been closely monitored over the past few days. He missed India’s three-day warm-up fixture in Sri Lanka, which began on Friday, and the expectation was that he would join the squad once cleared by the CoE medical staff.
According to CoE sources, Sudharsan has made steady progress in his recovery from a stress reaction in his right foot and has returned to batting and fielding drills. He has managed a 75-minute batting session in the nets.
However, he continues to experience pain in the toe of the affected foot. The pain has varied in duration after batting and running sessions.
The source suggests that the plan was to put him through two successive days of extended batting, running and fielding before assessing his recovery through an MRI scan. However, following assessments, it was confirmed that he would take longer to recover.
RELATED | Padikkal brings up 121-ball century in India’s warm-up game against Sri Lanka XI
The decision not to risk Sudharsan is also in keeping with the BCCI’s approach towards players returning from injury. The medical team does not want him to make an early comeback only to suffer a setback, especially with India’s Test calendar extending well beyond the Sri Lanka series.
Sudharsan’s last Test appearance came against Afghanistan in June. He has played seven Tests and scored 383 runs, including three half-centuries.
India’s first Test against Sri Lanka begins in Galle on August 15, with the second Test scheduled in Colombo from August 23.
Published on Aug 08, 2026
