IND vs SL: India head coach Gautam Gambhir urges players to ‘tick all boxes’: ‘We know what’s in front of us…’

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has urged his players to “tick all the boxes” and give it their best in the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins from 15 August.

With both Tests part of the World Test Championship (WTC), Team India cannot afford any slip-ups. The Shubman Gill-led side is in fifth place with a points percentage (PCT) of 48.15.

Gambhir addressed his players on the squad's arrival in Sri Lanka. “We know what’s in front of us, we know what we are playing for. We can do the volume, we can push our limits, we can tick all the boxes," Gambhir told his players in a video posted by the BCCI on social media.

“Come 15th morning (August 15), whether we are batting first, whether we are bowling first, we're absolutely ready with every answer, every question that’s thrown at us, and every answer we are ready to give. So make sure we tick all the boxes from now on," he added.

India's last World Test Championship assignment was a home series against South Africa in November 2025. India went on to lose that series 0-2. India then played a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur earlier this year. The hosts won that match by an innings and 300 runs, but that series wasn't part of the WTC.

Gautam Gambhir on newcomers in the squad

The BCCI also named a couple of newcomers in the squad, with Auqib Nabi replacing the injured Jasprit Bumrah, and all-rounder Saransh Jain was also included. Gambhir congratulated both the players.

“We’ve got a couple of new guys in," he said. "To start with, Saransh, congratulations. You’ve worked extremely hard to be here. Make sure that you make your family and your country proud, whenever you get that opportunity," the former India opener added.

"Secondly, I want to congratulate Auqib. You had a phenomenal last season and helped J&K win the Ranji Trophy, which is a great achievement. Congratulations once again," he said about the pacer, who took 60 wickets in Jammu & Kashmir's successful Ranji Trophy campaign in the 2025-26 season.

“He's worked with so many teams for so many years. I'm sure his passion, his commitment will carry this team forward and make sure that his energy levels will help everyone achieve the target, which we want to do,” he added about Nabi.

The first Test between Sri Lanka and India will get underway on 15 August in Galle. The two teams will then travel to Colombo to play the second Test, which starts on 23 August.