Top-order batter Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of India’s upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
Sudharsan has made significant progress in his recovery from a right toe stress reaction and is recovering well, the BCCI said.
Sudharsan's absence has added to India’s injury list, with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar also missing the two-Test series.
Sarfaraz Khan, who has played six Tests for India, has joined the squad as Sudharsan’s replacement.
The series is an important step in the World Test Championship final race for both India and Sri Lanka. India are fifth in the standings with a points percentage of 48.15, while Sri Lanka are sixth with 41.67.
Sudharsan’s absence leaves a gap in India’s top order, but Devdutt Padikkal’s strong performance at No.3 in the warm-up match offers some relief.
Sudharsan’s last Test appearance came in India’s win over Afghanistan, where he scored a composed 81.
India’s squad: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi and Sarfaraz Khan.
