The Indian team have suffered another setback ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. After Jasprit Bumrah, India’s No. 3 batter Sai Sudharsan has also been ruled out of the series.
Considering the importance of this series in India’s race for the World Test Championship final, the absence of two players who were expected to be part of the playing XI will certainly hurt Team India.
However, Sudharsan’s absence may not hurt India’s batting as much because they already have a strong option available in the squad in the form of Devdutt Padikkal.
Padikkal was waiting for his opportunity and is now likely to slot into the playing XI for the first Test. The left-handed batter will also come into the match with confidence after scoring a brilliant century in the warm-up game.
The bigger question now is: who will replace Sai Sudharsan in India’s squad?
Sarfaraz Khan Set to Replace Sai Sudharsan: Reports
India already have batting options in the squad, but Sudharsan’s injury has reduced their backup strength. If another batter suffers an injury during the series, the team could find itself short of options.
Therefore, India are likely to need another batter in the squad.
Several names have come into the discussion following Sudharsan’s injury. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Karun Nair and Shaik Rasheed are among the possible contenders for a place in the squad.
However, among these names, Sarfaraz appears to be one of the strongest candidates. According to reports, Sarfaraz Khan could replace Sai Sudharsan in India’s squad for the Sri Lanka Test series.
If that happens, it would also give Sarfaraz another opportunity to push his case in India’s Test setup.
🚨Sai Sudarshan Replacement 🚨
Sarfaraz Khan is likely to replace Sai Sudarshan in Team India’s test Squad vs Sri Lanka🏏 pic.twitter.com/I4P60uSGN1
— CricInformer (@CricInformer) August 8, 2026
Did Sarfaraz Khan Deserve to Be in the Squad From the Start?
Sarfaraz is arguably a player who could have been on the plane to Sri Lanka from the start of the series.
His performances in domestic cricket have been difficult to ignore over the years. However, despite scoring heavily in the domestic circuit, Sarfaraz has often found himself competing with several other batters for a place in India’s Test squad.
Fitness has also been one of the talking points around Sarfaraz during his career. However, he has worked hard on this aspect of his game and has made visible improvements to his fitness.
That makes it much more difficult to overlook his case purely on fitness grounds.
Sarfaraz has already shown through his domestic performances that he can score big runs. He also has experience of Test cricket, which could work in his favour when the selectors decide on Sudharsan’s replacement.
Devdutt Padikkal Likely to Get First Opportunity
Even if Sarfaraz is added to the squad, Devdutt Padikkal is likely to remain ahead in the race for the playing XI.
Padikkal was already part of the squad and his century in the warm-up match has strengthened his case at exactly the right time.
With Sudharsan unavailable, Padikkal now has a big opportunity to establish himself at No. 3.
If he starts the series with runs, it could make the competition for places in India’s Test batting order even more interesting.
