Check out the India tour of Sri Lanka 2026 schedule

After the conclusion of the Zimbabwe tour, the focus is now shifting to the longest format of the game – Test Cricket. The Indian team is set to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series. The BCCI announced the series—scheduled to begin on August 15—just a few days ago. The first Test will be played at Galle International Stadium, Galle, from August 15 to 19, while the second will take place at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, from August 23 to 27. The BCCI is expected to announce India's Test squad soon. The Men in Blue are set to fly out for the tour soon. 

Reports suggest that senior players like Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah will make a comeback, whereas Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy might miss the series due to injuries. India last played in the white jersey against Afghanistan in June, winning that match by 400 runs; however, that game was not part of the World Test Championship (WTC). 

India currently sits in 5th place in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings, while Sri Lanka holds the 6th position. Winning the Test series against Sri Lanka is crucial for India to secure a spot in the WTC 2027 final; otherwise, they risk missing out on the final for the second consecutive time. The Indian team has not lost a Test series against Sri Lanka since 2008, and they will aim to maintain that record. 

Shubman Gill and his team have played three series in the current WTC cycle so far, recording one win against West Indies, one loss against South Africa, and one draw against England. To qualify for the WTC final, India needs to win seven of their remaining nine matches, so the team will be aiming for a clean sweep against Sri Lanka.

Predicted India squad for Sri Lanka tour

Shubman Gill ©, KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey