IND vs SL: Sri Lanka Cricket announces free entry for fans through select gates for upcoming Test series
Sri Lanka have taken the move to allow free entry for fans for the upcoming Test series against India in a bid to draw large crowds.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced free entry for fans for the upcoming two-match Test series against India, with spectators set to be allowed through selected gates of the venues without purchasing tickets.
The Test series is scheduled to begin on 15 August, with the opening match to be played at the Galle International Stadium. The second Test will be held in Colombo from 23 August. Both the Tests will be part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
"Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that public admission to the upcoming Test Series between Sri Lanka and India will be free of charge thus providing cricket fans with an excellent opportunity to witness world-class Test cricket," Sri Lanka Cricket said via a statement.
The board also invited cricket enthusiasts, young aspiring cricketers, families and sports fans from across Sri Lanka to attend the matches and watch the two teams compete in the longest format.
"Sri Lanka Cricket warmly invites cricket enthusiasts, young aspiring cricketers, families, and sports fans from across the country to take advantage of this initiative and experience the excitement of international Test cricket between Sri Lanka and India," the SLC statement added.
Sri Lanka Cricket's bid to draw large crowds
According to Cricinfo, fans can enter the Galle International Cricket Stadium free of cost through Gate 4 during the first Sri Lanka vs India Test. For the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, fans will get free entry through gates 3,4,5 and 7.
In a bid to draw large crowds, Sri Lanka have often employed the move to make the entry free for fans during Test series against New Zealand, Ireland and Bangladesh. SLC had announced free entry for fans attending non-Sri Lanka games in Sri Lanka during the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Tickets were initially issued to fans during the ongoing season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), before making the entry free for fans amid a low spectator turnout.
The upcoming series will be India's first Test tour of Sri Lanka since 2017. India last played a Test series on the island nation in 2017, when they completed a 3-0 series sweep. The two teams will now meet again in Sri Lanka as part of the current WTC cycle.
India are being led by Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul named vice-captain. The squad also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal and Saransh Jain.
India are currently taking on Sri Lanka XI in a three-day practice match at the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka were 363/8 at stumps on Day 1, with Ravindu Rasantha top-scoring with 71 runs.
Nishan Maduska (66) and skipper Sonal Dinusha (52) also scored fifties. For India, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar took two wickets each whereas Gurnoor Brar picked up one wicket.
Shubman Gill, however, sustained an injury to his right finger ahead of the practice match and sat out the first day, with KL Rahul leading the side.
About the Author
PN Vishnu is a contributor with the LiveMint Sports team, where he primarily covers cricket, football and other major sporting events. A passionate sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, Vishnu has been an ardent follower of sports for more than 10 years. While he enjoys covering a wide range of disciplines, his biggest sporting passions remain cricket and football. He is also a devoted supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and Manchester United in English football. <br><br> Vishnu pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, in 2016 and graduated in 2017. Since then, he has built an extensive career in sports journalism, working with leading media organisations including Deccan Chronicle and Firstpost. In 2025, he worked for CricXtasy for six months before joining LiveMint in February 2026. <br><br> Over the years, he has reported extensively on marquee sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Indian Super League (ISL). His reporting has also provided opportunities to interact with some of the game's leading personalities, including India cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhruv Jurel. <br><br> Away from the newsroom, Vishnu enjoys unwinding with books, discovering new music and binge-watching television series.
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