IND vs SL: Shubman Gill bats in nets ahead of Test series against Sri Lanka as he continues recovery from finger injury

India captain Shubman Gill was seen batting at the nets ahead of day three of his team's practice match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo on Sunday.

Gill has missed the warm-up match due to an impact injury on his right finger that he suffered while training ahead of the match. KL Rahul is leading Team India in the absence of Shubman Gill in the practice match.

“Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India’s practice on Thursday. As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI,” a BCCI statement had said on Friday.

Sri Lanka Cricket XI won the toss and opted to bat. Fifties from Ravindu Rasantha (71), Nishan Madushka (66) and Sonal Dinusha (52) led the hosts to 363/8, a total that they declared on.

India, too declared at a total of 357/6 on day two of the match on Saturday, following Devdutt Padikkal's unbeaten 142. Ravindra Jadeja also scored a half-century, scoring 63 runs from 117 deliveries.

India's injury troubles so far

India have already been hit by injuries to several players. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka due to a knee injury. Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy have also suffered injuries and will miss the series.

Top-order batter Sai Sudharsan was the latest injury victim after he was ruled out of the series due to a toe injury.

Sudharsan's absence further increases the importance of Padikkal's performance in the practice match. His unbeaten 142 has strengthened his case for a place in India's top order, with the team needing to find a replacement for Sudharsan.

The first Test between Sri Lanka and India will take place in Galle from 15 August. That will be followed by the second Test that will be held in Colombo from 23 August.

The Test series will be crucial for both the teams as it will be part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India are in fifth place in the WTC standings with a points percentage (PCT) of 48.15. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are in sixth place with a PCT of 41.67.

For India, Gill's fitness remains one of the most closely watched developments in the build-up to the series.

His participation in batting practice on Sunday provides a welcome sign, although his availability for the opening Test will ultimately depend on how the finger responds as India continue their preparations for the two-match Test series.